Perspectives on C-MEMS and C-NEMS biotech applications

Abstract

Carbon microelectromechanical system (C-MEMS) and carbon nanoelectromechanical system (C-NEMS) have been identified as promising technologies for a range of biotech applications, including electrochemical biosensors, biofuel cells, neural probes, and dielectrophoretic cell trapping. Research teams around the world have devoted more and more time to this field. After almost two decades of efforts on developing C-MEMS and C-NEMS, a review of the relevant progress and addressing future research opportunities and critical issues is in order. This review first introduces C-MEMS and C-NEMS fabrication processes that fall into two categories: photolithography- and non-photolithography- based techniques. Next, a detailed discussion of the state of the art, and technical challenges and opportunities associated with C-MEMS and C-NEMS devices used in biotech applications are presented. These devices are discussed in the relevant sub-sections of biosensors, biofuel cells, intracorporeal neural probe, dielectrophoresis cell trapping, and cell culture. The review concludes with an exposition of future perspectives in C-MEMS and C-NEMS.

Keywords: Biosensors; Carbon; Cell culture; MEMS; NEMS; Neural probe; Photolithography.