ABSTRACT
This paper presents multi-electrode arrays for in vivo neural recording applications incorporating the principle of electronic depth control (EDC), i.e., the electronic selection of recording sites along slender probe shafts independently for multiple channels. Two-dimensional (2D) arrays were realized using a commercial 0.5- µm complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process for the EDC circuits combined with post-CMOS micromachining to pattern the comb-like probes and the corresponding electrode metallization. A dedicated CMOS integrated front-end circuit was developed for pre-amplification and multiplexing of the neural signals recorded using these probes.
ABSTRACT
This paper introduces the first experimental results of a new implantable slim-base three-dimensional (3D) probe array for cerebral applications. The probes are assembled perpendicularly into the slim-base readout platform where electrical and mechanical connections are achieved simultaneously. A new type of micromachined interconnect has been developed to establish electrical connection using extreme planarization techniques. Due to the modular approach of the platform, probe arrays of different dimensions and functionality can be assembled. The platform is only several hundred microns thick which is highly relevant for chronic experiments in which the probe array should be able to float on top of the brain. Preliminary tests were carried out with the implantation of a probe array into the auditory cortex of a rat.
