Ceramic-based multisite microelectrodes for electrochemical recordings

This paper describes the development and characterization of ceramic- based multisite arrays for electrochemical recordings in biological systems. These electrodes represent a parallel technology to the design of microelectrodes using silicon substrates. The ceramic substrates are stronger than silicon and are nonconducting, which makes them better suited for in vivo electrochemical measurements. The current designs are based on formation of four-site (50 x 50 μm with 200 μm spacing) electrodes on ceramic wafers using photolithography. The recording sites and connecting lines are made of Pt with a polyamide coating to insulate the connecting lines. The resulting electrodes are cut from the wafers producing a I cm length microelectrode that tapers to a ~2-5 μm tip. Electrochemical measures of dopamine and hydrogen peroxide support that the sensitivity, selectivity, and response characteristics of the electrodes exceed those of previously published silicon substrate-based microelectrodes. This is the first demonstration of microarrays formed from ceramic substrates, and the data presented support the hypothesis that these microelectrodes may be useful for a variety of neurochemical and electrophysiological applications. Preliminary in vivo electrochemical recordings are presented.