Ultraviolet biosensor

1. A semiconductor biosensor comprising:

a plurality of wells, each well configured to hold a test sample and to allow the test sample to be irradiated with ultraviolet radiation;

a plurality of detectors configured to capture a spectral response of the test sample irradiated with the ultraviolet radiation, wherein each well in the plurality of wells is located directly on a detector in the plurality of detectors, wherein each detector comprises a planar optical antenna on a photodiode, with the well directly on the planar optical antenna, and wherein the planar optical antenna is tuned to a particular wavelength; and

a processing circuitry coupled to the plurality of detectors, the processing circuitry being configured to calculate an average spectral response for the plurality of detectors.

2. The biosensor of claim 1 wherein the plurality of wells, the plurality of detectors, and the processing circuitry are integrated on a single chip.

3. The biosensor of claim 1 wherein:

the plurality of detectors is grouped into a first set of detectors in a first pixel of the biosensor and second set of detectors in a second pixel of the biosensor;

the planar optical antennas of the first set of detectors in the first pixel are tuned to a first wavelength; and

the planar optical antennas of the second set of detectors in the second pixel are tuned to a second wavelength different from the first wavelength.

4. The biosensor of claim 1 wherein the spectral response is created in an absorption mode or an excitation fluorescence mode.

5. The biosensor of claim 1 wherein each photodiode comprises a lateral p-i-n diode.

6. The biosensor of claim 1 wherein for each detector in the plurality of detectors, the planar optical antenna is configured to filter the spectral response from the test sample to the photodiode.

7. The biosensor of claim 1 wherein at least one planar optical antenna in the plurality of detectors comprises a metal or a dielectric material.

8. The biosensor of claim 3 wherein the processing circuitry compiles signals received from the first set of detectors and the second set of detectors into an output spectrum.

9. The biosensor of claim 1 wherein at least one planar optical antenna in the plurality of detectors comprises a structure having dimensions configured to tune the at least one planar optical antenna to the particular wavelength.

10. The biosensor of claim 9 wherein:

the at least one planar optical antenna comprises aluminum;

the particular wavelength to which the at least one planar optical antenna is tuned is in a range of 180-400 nm;

the structure is an aperture;

the aperture is chosen from the group consisting of: single slots, grouped slots, and patches; and

the dimensions comprise a length, a width and a height of the aperture.

11. The biosensor of claim 9 wherein:

the at least one planar optical antenna comprises aluminum;

the particular wavelength to which the at least one planar optical antenna is tuned is in a range of 180-400 nm;

the structure is a pillar;

the pillar is a monopole or dipole antenna; and

the dimensions comprise a height and a width of the pillar, and a vertical cross-sectional shape of the pillar.

12. The biosensor of claim 1 wherein at least one planar optical antenna in the plurality of detectors comprises a plurality of structures having a positional arrangement configured for polarization insensitivity.

13. The biosensor of claim 12 wherein the structures comprise a plurality of slots, and wherein the positional arrangement configured for polarization insensitivity comprises a first group of the plurality of slots being orthogonal to a second group of the plurality of slots.

14. A biosensing device comprising:

a plurality of wells, wherein each well is configured to hold a test sample and to allow the test sample to be irradiated with ultraviolet radiation; and

a plurality of detectors, each detector comprising a) a photodiode and b) a planar optical antenna on the photodiode;

wherein each well is located directly on the planar optical antenna of a corresponding one of the plurality of detectors; and

wherein each planar optical antenna has a structure in or on a plane of the planar optical antenna, the structure having dimensions configured to tune the planar optical antenna to a particular wavelength.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein:

each planar optical antenna comprises aluminum, and the particular wavelength to which the planar optical antenna is tuned is in a range of 180-400 nm;

the structure is an aperture;

the aperture is chosen from the group consisting of: single slots, grouped slots, and patches; and

the dimensions comprise a length, a width and a height of the aperture.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein:

each planar optical antenna comprises aluminum, and the particular wavelength to which the planar optical antenna is tuned is in a range of 180-400 nm;

the structure is a pillar;

the pillar is a monopole or dipole antenna; and

the dimensions comprise a height and a width of the pillar, and a vertical cross-sectional shape of the pillar.

17. The device of claim 14 wherein the structure comprises a plurality of the structures, having a positional arrangement configured for polarization insensitivity.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the plurality of structures is a plurality of slots, and wherein the positional arrangement configured for polarization insensitivity comprises a first group of the plurality of slots being orthogonal to a second group of the plurality of slots.

19. The device of claim 14 wherein the device is absent of a wavelength spatially dispersive element between the well and the detector.