1. An electrode army microchip for receiving biological electrical signals comprising: a plurality of substantially planar metal regions supported on a surface of a substrate, insulating material covering said plurality of metal regions and said surface, cuts in said insulating material, at least one of said cuts having a width of at least one micron, said cuts arranged to expose portions of said metal regions, whereby each exposed portion forms a substantially planar electrode for engagement with a biological material, and regions of metal electrically connected to said electrodes to form electrical connections from said electrodes to wire bonding or probe sites on a surface of said microchip or to integrated circuitry within said microchip, whereby biological electrical signals from said biological material detectable at said electrodes are transmitted to said wire bonding or probe sites or to said integrated circuitry.