Fabrication of gold micro-spine structures for improvement of cell/device adhesion

Improvement of the interface contact between biological objects and electronic devices can significantly enhance the quality of electronic signal transfer. The surface of biosensor can be artificially modified in order to strengthen the adhesion of biological cells. We report on results of fabrication of micron and sub-micron golden spines by means of e-beam lithography and electroplating. The fabrication technique allows easy modification of the size and shape of golden spines by variation of processing parameters. The structures with different spine profiles and spacing have been fabricated for optimization of cell growth conditions. We present the results of growth of rat cortical neurons on the surface of spine modified samples. Well-defined cell guidance was established at the spine arrays. Furthermore, the results of transmission electron microscope and focused ion beam technique confirm the good adhesion between the spines and cell structures. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.