Action potentials of HL-1 cells recorded with silicon nanowire transistors

Silicon nanowire (NW) transistors were fabricated in a top-down process. These devices were used to record the extracellular potential of the spontaneous activity of cardiac muscle HL-1 cells. Their signals were measured by direct dc sampling of the drain current. An improved signal-to-noise ratio compared to planar field-effect devices was observed. Furthermore the signal shape was evaluated and could be associated to different membrane currents. With these experiments, a qualitative description of the properties of the cell-NW contact was obtained and the suitability of these sensors for electrophysiological measurements in vitro was demonstrated.