STRUCTURED BIOMOLECULAR FILMS FOR MICROELECTRONICS

Abstract

Studies of the structure of a dehydrated film on the surface of a solid, obtained from an aqueous solution of albumin molecules, have been carried out. The research method consisted of obtaining micrographs in transmitted film and light reflected from the substrate. During dehydration, the concentration of the initial solution of molecules, temperature conditions, and the strength of the electrostatic field were changed. Typical inhomogeneities of two main types have been revealed: in the form of areas separated by straight lines, and in the form of microscopic disk granules distributed over the surface, including those with annular or spiral underlined boundaries. The regions of parameters in which the first or second modes are realized predominantly are determined. For the first time to interpret the spatially inhomogeneous structure of a dehydrated biomolecular film, a "bubble" model has been proposed, which considers the processes caused by dissolved gases in the initial solution. Correlations of the structure of the formed protein films with temperature conditions and an applied electric field have been found, which makes it possible to associate some of the processes taking place with their thermomechanical and electrical nature. The effects of dissolved gases and the bubble mechanism must be accounted for in other film preparation methods, including Langmuir-Blodgett and layer-by-layer. The data obtained can be used in the development of technologies for obtaining films with high quality and specified parameters for use in microelectronics.

Keywords

• self-organized structure
• biomolecular film
• microelectronics
• biological molecule
• electrochemistry
• biosensor