Recent advances in nanowires-based field-effect transistors for biological sensor applications

Abstract

Nanowires (NWs)-based field-effect transistors (FETs) have attracted considerable interest to develop innovative biosensors using NWs of different materials (i.e. semiconductors, polymers, etc.). NWs-based FETs provide significant advantages over the other bulk or non-NWs nanomaterials-based FETs. As the building blocks for FET-based biosensors, one-dimensional NWs offer excellent surface-to-volume ratio and are more suitable and sensitive for sensing applications. During the past decade, FET-based biosensors are smartly designed and used due to their great specificity, sensitivity, and high selectivity. Additionally, they have the advantage of low weight, low cost of mass production, small size and compatible with commercial planar processes for large-scale circuitry. In this respect, we summarize the recent advances of NWs-based FET biosensors for different biomolecule detection i.e. glucose, cholesterol, uric acid, urea, hormone, proteins, nucleotide, biomarkers, etc. A comparative sensing performance, present challenges, and future prospects of NWs-based FET biosensors are discussed in detail.

Keywords: Biological sensors; Biomolecules; Field-effect transistors; Nanowires.

Scheme 1

Schematic illustration of (a) a typical back-gated and (b) solution-gated FET biosensors used in chemical and biological sensing applications.

Scheme 2

NWs assembly on device substrates using bottom-up and top-down fabrication approaches.

Fig. 1

(a) Optical images of IGZO-TFT device; (b) Schematic illustration of experimental apparatus for IGZO-FET sensor; (c) Transfer characteristics of GOx functionalized IGZO-FET after exposure to different concentrations of glucose; and (d) Schematic diagram showing the role of positively charged aminosilane groups as an electron acceptor and the impact of positively charged aminosilane groups on band bending at IGZO surface. Images reprinted from (Du et al., 2016).

Fig. 2

(a) Schematic of single ultra-long ZnO NW FET biosensor system; (b) Optical image of biosensor; (c) Device characteristics under varying gate voltage at fixed S-D voltage of −1 V; (d) Real time measurement with addition of uric acid in the buffer solution; and (e) Calibrated plot. Upper and lower inset in d are showing the homemade reaction cell with optical image of Ag paste immobilized ultra-long ZnO NW and device configuration, respectively. Images reprinted from (Liu et al., 2013).

Fig. 3

(a) Optical image of NG-FETs with 100 nanochannels with (b) SEM zoom-in view of nanochannels connecting highly doped S-D pads. (c) Cross-sectional illustration of chemically constructed SiNG FET biosensor. Images reprinted from (Regonda et al., 2013).

Fig. 4

Schematic diagram (a) and SEM image (b) of a single device section containing three groups of ~10 SiNWs in a microfluidics channel. Inset b is high-resolution SEM image of SiNWs. Images reprinted from (Bunimovich et al., 2006).

Fig. 5

(a) Schematic and (b-e) SEM images of the Au NPs embedded SiNW device. (b) The cracked Au film due to incomplete agglomeration at 400 °C and (c) Au NPs after complete agglomeration at 500 °C. The SEM high resolution view at the top (d) and the side (e) of the SiNW. Images reprinted from (Ryu et al., 2010).

Fig. 6

(a) Schematic of nanobiosensor system, (b) microscopic and optical images (inset) image of blood sample and (c) cell count before and after microfiltration. Images reprinted from (Chang et al., 2012).

Fig. 7

Different device configurations and their real-time sensing response for (a) un-passivated CA-125 nanosensor in buffer, (b) un-passivated CA-125 nanosensor in serum, and (c) Tween 20-passivated nanosensor in serum. Images reprinted from (Chang et al., 2011).

Fig. 8

Normalized electrical output (I/I₀) vs. time of a single operating device. (a-b) Response curves to passivation upon addition of successive aliquots of BSA. (c) Response for a nanowire device functionalized with Fn. Inset (1) is the device configuration during active sensing measurement. Inset (2) shows the plateau and the definition of response time. Inset (3) is schematic of a control device without Fn capture probe does not respond to the presence of N protein. Images reprinted from (Ishikawa et al., 2009a).