Abstract

This paper presents a novel hybrid microfluidic electronic sensing platform, featuring an electronic sensor incorporated with a microfluidic structure for life science applications. This sensor with a large sensing area of 0.7 mm2 is implemented through a foundry process called Open-Gate Junction FET (OG-JFET). The proposed OG-JFET sensor with a back gate enables the charge by directly introducing the biological and chemical samples on the top of the device. This paper puts forward the design and implementation of a PDMS microfluidic structure integrated with an OG-JFET chip to direct the samples toward the sensing site. At the same time, the sensor’s gain is controlled with a back gate electrical voltage. Herein, we demonstrate and discuss the functionality and applicability of the proposed sensing platform using a chemical solution with different pH values. Additionally, we introduce a mathematical model to describe the charge sensitivity of the OG-JFET sensor. Based on the results, the maximum value of transconductance gain of the sensor is ~1 mA/V at Vgs = 0, which is decreased to ~0.42 mA/V at Vgs = 1, all in Vds = 5. Furthermore, the variation of the back-gate voltage from 1.0 V to 0.0 V increases the sensitivity from ~40 mV/pH to ~55 mV/pH. As per the experimental and simulation results and discussions in this paper, the proposed hybrid microfluidic OG-JFET sensor is a reliable and high-precision measurement platform for various life science and industrial applications.

Highlights

  • Electrochemical sensors are being used in various applications, such as the food industry, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, environmental monitoring and biomedical engineering [1–4]

  • A well-established member of electrochemical sensors, the so-called ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) sensors have been utilized in different applications for ion/charge detection in chemical solutions

  • This research explains the integration of Open-Gate Junction FET (OG-JFET) sensor to 3D printed PDMS-based microfluidics for biosensing applications

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Summary

Introduction

Electrochemical sensors are being used in various applications, such as the food industry, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, environmental monitoring and biomedical engineering [1–4]. These sensors promise faster and more sensitive techniques for detecting diseases and hazardous materials [5,6]. Many efforts have been made to develop ISFETs based on technologically flawless silicon-based complementary metal-oxide semiconductors (CMOS) technology, resulting in different sensing structures and topologies [4] offering high-yield productions. They have been successfully verified to detect various diseases, such as malaria, influenza, hepatitis B virus, COVID-19 disease and bacteria-based diseases [4,11]. Immobilizing the surface of ISFETs with different biomolecules gives rise to biological FETs (BioFETs), which could be GEN

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