1. A humidity sensor comprising:
a substrate;
a first insulating film formed over the substrate;
a first metal wiring layer disposed over the first insulating film;
a second insulating film formed over the first metal wiring layer;
a second metal wiring layer disposed over the second insulating film and formed with a plurality of unit cells, each comprising a first electrode and a second electrode which separately encompasses the first electrode in its entirety so as to have a capacitance between the first and second electrodes, and the first electrode being in electrical contact with the first metal wiring layer through the second insulating film; and
a humidity sensitive film formed over the first electrode and the second electrode.
2. A humidity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor substrate.
3. A humidity sensor according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of unit cells has a silicon nitride film as a protective film.
4. A humidity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode have a barrier layer thereunder which contains less than 10% of nitrogen in terms of an atomic weight.
5. A humidity sensor according to claim 1, wherein a capacitance of each of the unit cells can be measured.
6. A humidity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of unit cells are formed as a grid pattern.
7. A humidity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is in the shape of a square and the second electrode squarely encompasses the first electrode.
8. A humidity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are shaped as projections which are interdigitized.
9. A semiconductor device, comprising:
the humidity sensor according to claim 1; and
an integrated circuit including a signal processing circuit, wherein the humidity sensor and the integrated circuit are disposed on the substrate.
10. A semiconductor device according to claim 9, further comprising a silicon nitride film as a protective film.
11. A semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the silicon nitride film on the integrated circuit is thicker than the silicon nitride film on the humidity sensor.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of diagnosis of stroke or the possibility thereof in a subject suspected of suffering from stroke, which comprises determining the concentration of at least one polypeptide selected from Apo C-III, Serum Amyloid A, Apo C-I, Antithrombin III fragment and Apo A-I in a sample of body fluid obtained from the subject.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the polypeptide is differentially contained in the body fluid of stroke-affected subjects and non-stroke-affected subjects, and the method includes determining whether the concentration of polypeptide in the sample is consistent with a diagnosis of stroke.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein an antibody to the polypeptide is used in determining of the concentration of the polypeptide.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the body fluid is cerebrospinal fluid, plasma, serum, blood, tears or urine.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of the concentration of the polypeptide is used to determine whether a diagnosed stroke is of the ischaemic or haemorrhagic type.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising subjecting a sample of body fluid obtained from the subject to mass spectrometry, to determine a test amount of the polypeptide in the sample, wherein the polypeptide is differentially contained in the body fluid of stroke-affected subjects and non-stroke-affected subjects; and determining whether the test amount is consistent with a diagnosis of stroke.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the polypeptide is present in the body fluid of stroke-affected subjects and not present in the body fluid of non-stroke-affected subjects, whereby the presence of the polypeptide in a body fluid sample is indicative of stroke.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the polypeptide is not present in the body fluid of stroke-affected subjects and present in the body fluid of non-stroke-affected subjects, whereby the non-presence of the polypeptide in a body fluid sample is indicative of stroke.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein the mass spectrometry is laser desorptionionization mass spectrometry.
10. The method of claim 6, wherein the sample is adsorbed on a probe having an immobilised metal affinity capture (IMAC), hydrophobic, strong anionic or weak cationic exchange surface capable of binding the polypeptide.
11. The method of claim 6, wherein the polypeptide is determined by surface-enhanced laser desorptionionization (SELDI) and time of flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS).
12. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of peptides is determined in the sample.
13-22. (canceled)
23. An assay device for use in the diagnosis of stroke, which comprises a solid substrate having a location containing a material which recognizes, binds to or has affinity for a polypeptide selected from Apo C-III, Serum Amyloid A, Apo C-I, Antithrombin III fragment and Apo A-I.
24. The assay device of claim 23, wherein the solid substrate has plurality of locations each respectively containing a material which recognizes, binds to or has affinity for a polypeptide selected from Apo C-III, Serum Amyloid A, Apo C-I, Antithrombin III fragment and Apo A-I.
25. The assay device of claim 23, wherein the material is an antibody or antibody chip.
26. The assay device of claim 25, comprising a unique addressable location for each antibody, thereby to permit an assay readout for each individual polypeptide or for any combination of polypeptides.
27. The assay device of claim 25, wherein the antibody comprises an antibody to Apo C-III.
28. The assay device of claim 25, wherein the antibody comprises an antibody to Serum Amyloid A.
29. The assay device of claim 25, wherein the antibody comprises an antibody to Apo C-I.
30. The assay device of claim 25, wherein the antibody comprises an antibody to Antithrombin III.
31. The assay device of claim 25, wherein the antibody comprises an antibody to Apo A-I.
32. A kit for use in diagnosis of stroke, comprising a probe for receiving a sample of body fluid, and for placement in a mass spectrometer, thereby to determine a test amount of a polypeptide in the sample, wherein the polypeptide is selected from Apo C-III, Serum Amyloid A, Apo C-I, Antithrombin III fragment and Apo A-I, or any combination thereof.
33. The kit of claim 32, wherein the probe contains an adsorbent for adsorption of the polypeptide.
34. The kit of claim 33, further comprising a washing solution for removal of unbound or weakly bound materials from the probe.