Patent ID: 9746460
Date: 2017-08-29
CPC Classifications: G01N

Claim:
1. A method of detecting the interaction between at least one entity and a dielectric layer containing different electron levels in the energy band gap of the dielectric layer, the method comprising the following steps: a) depositing the at least one entity on the dielectric layer; b) subjecting the dielectric layer and the at least one entity deposited on the dielectric layer to exciting electromagnetic radiation that does not give rise to observable luminescence of the at least one entity itself under the conditions implemented in step c); and c) detecting the luminescence of the dielectric layer, in which the radiative and non-radiative electron transitions between the energy levels of the band gap have been influenced as a result of its interaction with the at least one entity; wherein the dielectric layer is made of a member selected from the group consisting of: silicon oxide, in which silicon nanoparticles are distributed, and wherein said dielectric layer comprises Si—H, Si—O—Si, and Si—OH bonds, with a stoichiometry, in terms of atoms of Si and O, of SiOx, with 0<x <2; silicon nitride, in which silicon nanoparticles are distributed, and wherein said dielectric layer comprises Si—H, Si—N—Si, and N—H bonds, with a stoichiometry, in terms of atoms of Si and N of SiyNz, with 1<y <3 and 0<z <4; and a silicon oxy-nitride, in which silicon nanoparticles are distributed, and wherein said dielectric layer comprises Si—H, Si—N—Si, Si—O—Si, Si—OH, and N—H bonds, with a stoichiometry, in terms of atoms of Si, N, and O, of SitOuNv, with 1<t <3, 0<u <1, and 0<v <2; wherein the at least one entity is a biological entity.