Boron doped nanocrystalline diamond temperature regulator for sensing applications

In search for a better way to monitor the hybridization and denaturation of DNA onto a diamond based sensor, precise knowledge about the conditions of the immediate surroundings is very critical. One of the factors that have a great influence on the stability of the measurements is the temperature of the liquid environment in which these measurements take place. With this as a focal point, the design of a precise temperature regulator based on a boron doped diamond thin film is a key factor to achieve accurate measurements on a standalone basis. In this work temperature control is achieved making use of a thin boron doped nanocrystalline diamond (B-NCD) film, which, in combination with a proportional-integral-derivative-control (PID), is able to maintain a stable temperature with an accuracy better than 0.1 degrees C. By letting the B-NCD-layer act as a resistor together with the appropriate control it is possible to maintain a stable temperature in a range going from room temperature till 70 degrees C, with an accuracy exceeding a temperature variation 0.1 degrees C. The first prototype makes use of a reference temperature sensor, to verify the accuracy of the results. (C) 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim