The impact of silicon nanowire transducer channel width on field-effect transistor biosensor performance

Abstract

This paper reported on performance assessment of a field-effect transistor-based biosensor with different widths of the silicon nanowire transducer channel. Silvaco ATLAS device simulation software was used to model the device design with three different channel widths, which are 100, 150, and 200 nm. In this simulation, the bounded target biomolecules during actual detection using the biosensor were represented by several negative interface charge density values applied on the surface of the transducer channel. Increase in accumulation of hole carriers beneath the channel’s surface was observed due to the availability of negative interface charges on the surface, hence increased the output drain current. Furthermore, width reduction of the device’s channel had allowed more significant change in drain current due to application of different interface charge density values and increased the device’s sensitivity. Among the simulated devices, silicon nanowire field-effect transistor-based biosensor with transducer channel width of 100 nm had shown highest sensitivity (-56.45 nA/e−cm2) with lowest interface charge density detection (2.79×1010 e/cm-2), which means it enhances the interface charge detection by providing better response and allows lower limit of detection. Therefore, in actual detection, possibility for reaction of the transducer channel to the specific target biomolecule can be increased.