(Invited) Biomolecular Sensors Based on Nanocarbon Field-Effect Transistors: Advances in Design, Fabrication and Characterization

Abstract

Nanoscale field-effect transistors (FETs) embedded in microfluidics form a promising technology as compact and portable lab-on-a-chip biosensors for applications in biology and medicine. Such sensors can be designed to monitor a variety of biochemical mechanisms, at the ensemble or single-molecule scale, through fluctuations in the electrical conductance of the circuit. In particular, nanocarbon materials, i.e. carbon nanotubes and graphene, are materials of choice for FET biosensors, due to their high electrical conductance, the sensitivity of their electronic properties to the surrounding environment, and the versatility of their carbon-based surface chemistry. In this presentation, I will report on recent developments and key considerations in the design, fabrication and characterization of such nanocarbon-based biomolecular FET sensors. In particular, I will discuss approaches for chemical functionalization and structural patterning of nanocarbon materials to optimize their coupling with molecules. I will also describe hardware and software developments for the analysis of single-molecule measurements in hybrid biomolecule-nanocarbon FET devices.