Patent ID: 7756365

Claim:
A photonic crystal biosensor comprising: an optically transparent substrate, a relatively low index of refraction material formed in a periodic grating structure applied to the substrate, the relatively low index of refraction material comprising a porous dielectric material; a relatively high index of refraction material deposited onto the relatively low index of refraction material forming the grating structure; wherein the grating structure period and relatively high and low index of refraction materials are selected such that the sensor produces a confinement of the electric field intensity due to light directed to the biosensor proximate to the plane of the periodic surface grating of the biosensor and wherein a reflection maximum at a resonant wavelength of the biosensor occurs in the near-ultraviolet portion of the spectrum; and further wherein the sensor grating structure period and relatively high and low index of refraction materials are selected to result in a biosensor which has a high surface to bulk sensitivity ratio.