A modified semiconductor developed at Combimatrix Inc. utilized integrated circuits which contained arrays of microelectrodes individually addressable using embedded logic circuitry on the chip. When placed in a specially designed flu idic chamber, the chip digitally directs the molecular assembly of biopolymers in response to a digital command. Each microelectrode is addressed to selectively generate chemical reagents by means of an electrochemical reaction. These chemical reagents fa cilitate the in situ synthesis of complex molecules such as DNA oligonucleotides. These molecules are synthesized within a proprietary Porous Reaction Layer (PRL) that coats the chip. Under the direction of a PC the CombiMatrix chip rapidly synthesizes ove r a thousand different molecules in parallel, each above a distinct electrode.
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