Monolithic 3D Nanoelectrode Arrays on CMOS Circuitry for Scalable, High-Resolution Neural Recording.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Bioengineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Advanced neural interfaces are crucial for understanding brain function, neurodegenerative diseases, and drug development.
• Existing technologies often lack the required nanoscale sensitivity and high-resolution, large-scale recording capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a monolithically integrated high-density nanoelectrode array (HD-NEA).
• To demonstrate its capability for high-fidelity neural recording.
• To enable scalable and CMOS-compatible nanobiointerfaces.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a high-density nanoelectrode array (HD-NEA) with vertical nanowire electrodes integrated into commercial CMOS circuitry.
• Utilized a low-temperature, wafer-scale post-fabrication strategy (<400 °C) to decouple nanostructure formation from circuit integration.
• Interfaced the HD-NEA with in vitro cortical neurons for neural recording.

Main Results:

• The HD-NEA, comprising 26,400 electrodes, demonstrated high yield and uniformity across 4-in. wafers.
• Achieved significantly higher spike amplitudes and signal-to-noise ratios compared to planar microelectrodes without electroporation.
• Enabled high-resolution spike mapping, revealing steeper spatial signal decay and detection of distinct waveform morphologies, including putative dendritic signals.

Conclusions:

• The developed HD-NEA is a scalable, CMOS-compatible nanobiointerface.
• It enables high-fidelity neural recording for neuroscience research, brain-machine interfacing, and bioelectronic diagnostics.
• This technology advances preclinical drug development and our understanding of brain function.