Improving the measurement sensitivity of interdigital dielectric capacitors (IDC) by optimizing the dielectric property of the homogeneous passivation layer

Interdigitated dielectric capacitors (IDC) are a key component in numerous technologies, such as lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices. A critical aspect of designing IDC is the choice of the optimal passivation layer, as it affects the IDC's sensitivity. In this work we present a quick and simple method (a) to optimize the sensitivity of dielectric sensors with homogeneous passivation layers and (b) to determine the frequency-dependent permittivity of materials. Consequently, optimizing the permittivity of the passivation layer and improving the measurement sensitivity of the dielectric sensor is significantly simplified, as it removes the need to perform a series of tedious experiments or computationally expensive simulations. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.