Nernst limit in dual-gated Si-nanowire FET sensors.

Knopfmacher, O; Tarasov, A; Fu, Wangyang; Wipf, M; Niesen, B; Calame, M; Schönenberger, C · Nano Lett · 2010

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Field effect transistors (FETs) are widely used for the label-free detection of analytes in chemical and biological experiments. Here we demonstrate that the apparent sensitivity of a dual-gated silicon nanowire FET to pH can go beyond the Nernst limit of 60 mV/pH at room temperature. This result can be explained by a simple capacitance model including all gates. The consistent and reproducible results build to a great extent on the hysteresis- and leakage-free operation. The dual-gate approach can be used to enhance small signals that are typical for bio- and chemical sensing at the nanoscale.