Electron beam addressable potentiometric sensor for ion distribution imaging with high resolution

We have developed an electron beam addressable potentiometric sensor to improve the spatial resolution. Ion sensors are widely used in the fields of medical and life science, food and material development, environmental protection and so on. However, the spatial resolution of the ion distribution imaging sensor is limited by the diffraction limit of light or microfabrication technology. So, we proposed an addressable potentiometric sensor using a focused electron beam instead of light. The electron beam can be easily focused to a spot of several nanometer, and the spatial resolution of the addressable potentiometric sensor improved. We showed that ion concentration can be measured by irradiating the ion sensor substrate (SiN/SiO2/Si) with a focused electron beam.