Extended-gate Field-effect Transistor Research Articles

Exploring the ITO/PET Extended-Gate Field-Effect Transistor (EGFET) for pH Sensing.

In this project we investigated the extended-gate field-effect transistor (EGFET) structure used with ITO (Indium Tin Oxide)/PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) sensitive films acting as the extended-gate part of an EGFET obtained from a combination of FETs from the CD4007 chip. We tested the device as a pH sensor by immersing the ITO/PET electrode in several chemical solutions of acidic and basic nature, including hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, sulfuric acid, and ammonium hydroxide, at different concentrations. Using a Tektronix 4200A sourcemeter, we plotted the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics for the different chemical solutions, and we established a correlation to the pH changes. Results from the plotted I-V characteristics show a great dependance of the drain current (ID) on solution concentration. Furthermore, we measured the pH of each of the used solutions, and we established a relationship between the drain current and the pH value. Our results show a consistent decrease in the current with an increase in the pH value, although with different rates depending on the solution. The device showed high voltage sensitivity at 0.23 V per pH unit when tested in sulfuric acid.

Effect of Microwave Annealing on the Sensing Characteristics of HfO2 Thin Film for High Sensitive pH-EGFET Sensor.

Recently, certain challenges have persisted in PH sensor applications, especially when employing hafnium oxide (HfO2) thin films as sensing layers, where issues related to sensitivity, hysteresis, and long-term stability hamper performance. Microwave annealing (MWA) technology, as a promising solution for addressing these challenges, has gained significant attraction due to its unique advantages. In this article, the effects of microwave annealing (MWA) treatment on the sensing behaviors of Extended-Gate Field-Effect Transistors (EGFETs) utilizing HfO2 as a sensing film have been investigated for the first time. Various power levels of MWA treatment (1750 W/2100 W/2450 W) were selected to explore the optimal processing conditions. A thorough physical analysis was conducted to characterize the surface of the MWA-treated HfO2 sensing thin film using techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Our findings reveal that MWA treatment effectively increased the surface sites (Ns) in the HfO2 sensing thin film, consequently leading to an increase in the pH sensitivity of EGFETs to 59.6 mV/pH, as well as a reduction in hysteresis and an enhancement in long-term stability. These results suggest that MWA offers a straightforward, energy-efficient method to enhance overall HfO2 sensing film performance in EGFETs, offering insights for HfO2 applications and broader microelectronics challenges.

Preparation of pH Sensor Based on Extended-Gate Field-Effect Transistor with Spinel ZnCo2O4 Thin Films by Electrostatic Spray Deposition

Preparation of pH Sensor Based on Extended-Gate Field-Effect Transistor with Spinel ZnCo2O4 Thin Films by Electrostatic Spray Deposition

Methods gold standard in clinic millifluidics multiplexed extended gate field-effect transistor biosensor with gold nanoantennae as signal amplifiers

We present a portable multiplexed biosensor platform based on the extended gate field-effect transistor and demonstrate its amplified response thanks to gold nanoparticle-based bioconjugates introduced as a part of the immunoassay. The platform comprises a disposable chip hosting an array of 32 extended gate electrodes, a readout module based on a single transistor operating in constant charge mode, and a multiplexer to scan sensing electrodes one-by-one. Although employing only off-the-shelf electronic components, our platform achieves sensitivities comparable to fully customized nanofabricated potentiometric sensors. In particular, it reaches a detection limit of 0.2 fM for the pure molecular assay when sensing horseradish peroxidase-linked secondary antibody (∼0.4 nM reached by standard microplate methods). Furthermore, with the gold nanoparticle bioconjugation format, we demonstrate ca. 5-fold amplification of the potentiometric response compared to a pure molecular assay, at the detection limit of 13.3 fM. Finally, we elaborate on the mechanism of this amplification and propose that nanoparticle-mediated disruption of the diffusion barrier layer is the main contributor to the potentiometric signal enhancement. These results show the great potential of our portable, sensitive, and cost-efficient biosensor for multidimensional diagnostics in the clinical and laboratory settings, including e.g., serological tests or pathogen screening.

Bridged EGFET Design for the Rapid Screening of Sorbents as Sensitisers in Water-Pollution Sensors.

We further simplify the most 'user-friendly' potentiometric sensor for waterborne analytes, the 'extended-gate field effect transistor' (EGFET). This is accomplished using a 'bridge' design, that links two separate water pools, a 'control gate' (CG) pool and a 'floating gate' (FG) pool, by a bridge filled with agar-agar hydrogel. We show electric communication between electrodes in the pools across the gel bridge to the gate of an LND150 FET. When loading the gel bridge with a sorbent that is known to act as a sensitiser for Cu2+ water pollution, namely, the ion exchanging zeolite 'clinoptilolite', the bridged EGFET acts as a potentiometric sensor to waterborne Cu2+. We then introduce novel sensitisers into the gel bridge, the commercially available resins PurometTM MTS9140 and MTS9200, which are sorbents for the extraction of mercury (Hg2+) pollution from water. We find a response of the bridged EGFET to Hg2+ water pollution, setting a template for the rapid screening of ion exchange resins that are readily available for a wide range of harmful (or precious) metal ions. We fit the potentiometric sensor response vs. pollutant concentration characteristics to the Langmuir-Freundlich (LF) model which is discussed in context with other ion-sensor characteristics.

Aptamer-Based Electric-Double -Layer (EDL) Extended-Gated FET Biosensor for Detection of Cadmium Ion

Cadmium ion (Cd2+) is a highly toxic heavy metal pollutant. It causes irreversible damage to human health even at low doses due to a long biological half-life and strong bioaccumulation. Common heavy metal detection includes Inductively Coupled Plasma with Atomic Emission, Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (FAAS), and Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GFAAS), and. However, these technologies are high-cost, time-consuming, complicated operations, and can't be detected immediately and accurately.In this study, we developed an electric double-layer (EDL) extended-gate field effect transistor sensor based on aptamers to detect cadmium ions (Cd2+). Use N-channel enhanced-mode MOSFETs to connect the extended-gate array chips with aptamer modified. The aptamers were self-assembled on the gold electrode surface through Au-S bonds. Since the aptamer has a specific binding ability to cadmium ions, it will bind to the aptamer to form a stem-loop structure. The gate voltage changes caused by the structure change and then amplify the electrical signal through the transconductance of the field effect transistor. The linear detection range of this sensor for cadmium ions is from 1nM to 10uM. The Cd2+ calibration curve is shown a high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.99001) and an excellent detection limit as low as 99.5 nＭ. Importantly, it responds to Cd2+ within 10 seconds. The sensor exhibits high selectivity in the presence of other heavy metals such as arsenic, chromium, lead, and mercury for electrical signal measurements. It also can be reused without significant signal attenuation.The advantages of this method are convenient portability, short detection time, high sensitivity, and simple operation. It has a good prospect for detection in the daily life of cadmium environmental pollution. Figure 1

Rapid and sensitive LAMP/CRISPR-powered diagnostics to detect different hepatitis C virus genotypes using an ITO-based EG-FET biosensing platform

The hepatitis C virus (HCV), a major causative agent of chronic liver disease, is responsible for the incidence of hepatitis infections worldwide. In line with the World Health Organization’s goal of reducing global new infections by 90% and viral hepatitis-related mortality rates by 65% by 2030, we proposed a miniaturized indium tin oxide-based extended gate field-effect transistor biosensor for rapid and specific detection of different HCV genotypes within 20 min. The biosensor combined loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 12 (CRISPR/Cas12a)-induced cleavage. The immobilized single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) served as a signal transmitter and underwent CRISPR/Cas12a trans-cleavage, which was triggered by specific nucleic acid pairing with complementary guide RNAs. This resulted in a significant change in the surface potential, which indicated the presence of HCV-viral RNA. The sensor demonstrated high sensitivity, with a detection limit as low as 1 genomic copy/reaction and a 10-fold increase in robustness for low concentration tests. The clinical results are consistent with those of the polymerase chain reaction. This research offered a rapid, sensitive, and digital diagnostic method for HCV viral infections, particularly suited for resource-limited settings, contributing to the elimination of hepatitis.

Extended-Gate Field-Effect Transistor Consisted of a CD9 Aptamer and MXene for Exosome Detection in Human Serum.

Cancer progresses silently to the terminal stage of the impossible operable condition. There are many limitations in the treatment options of cancer, but diagnosis in an early stage can improve survival rates and low recurrence. Exosomes are the biomolecules released from cancer cells and are promising candidates for clinical diagnosis. Among them, the cluster of differentiation 9 (CD9) protein is an important exosomal biomarker that can be used for exosome determination. Therefore, here, a CD9 aptamer was first synthesized and applied to an extended-gate field-effect transistor (EGFET)-type biosensor containing a disposable sensing membrane to suggest the possibility of detecting exosomes in a clinical environment. Systematically evaluating ligands using the exponential enrichment (SELEX) technique was performed to select nucleic acid sequences that can specifically target the CD9 protein. Exosomes were detected according to the electrical signal changes on a membrane, which is an extended gate using an Au microelectrode. The fabricated biosensor showed a limit of detection (LOD) of 10.64 pM for CD9 proteins, and the detection range was determined from 10 pM to 1 μM in the buffer. In the case of the clinical test, the LOD and detection ranges of exosomes in human serum samples were 6.41 × 102 exosomes/mL and 1 × 103 to 1 × 107 exosomes/mL, respectively, showing highly reliable results with low error rates. These findings suggest that the proposed aptasensor can be a powerful tool for a simple and early diagnosis of exosomes.

Sensing a SARS-CoV-2 spike peptide using a titanium carbide-doped imprinted polymer-coated extended-gate field effect transistor

The COVID-19 pandemic of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has over 750 million confirmed cases globally and more than six million deaths. Several variants have been named and identified as variants of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO); these include the Delta and Omicron variants. This work demonstrates the integration of epitope-imprinted conductive polymers with extended gate field effect transistors for the sensitive detection of the covid spike protein. Peptides from the receptor-binding domain on the spike protein were synthesized and imprinted onto poly(aniline-co-3-aminobenzenesulfonic acid), poly(AN-co-MSAN), by electropolymerization. Doping the conductive polymer film with titanium carbide (Ti2C) strengthened the electrochemical response approximately 1.5-fold. The FET platform not only amplified the electrochemical response about two-fold (compared with electrode-based sensing), but also lowered the sensing range for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein subunit S1 (ncovS1) from 1.0 to 0.01 fg/mL.

Effect of silver doping on sol-gel synthesized RuAgxOy-based extended-gate field-effect transistor flexible sensor device

Effect of silver doping on sol-gel synthesized RuAgxOy-based extended-gate field-effect transistor flexible sensor device

Rapid Fluorescence-Free Detection of DNA Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification on Bare ITO Surface Under EG-FET Scheme

An extended gate field effect transistor (EG-FET)-based chip with a precision temperature control system is developed for real-time and fluorescence-free loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) detection. A label-free, non-optical instant method was used to detect the hydrogen ions released during nucleic acid amplification, rather than indirect measurements. The system comprises an EG-FET sensor, a temperature sensor, a heating block, and a signal processing system. Industrial grade bare indium tin oxide (ITO) is firstly demonstrated as the sensing material for nucleic acid amplification detection, such that stable and high hydrogen ion detection performance of -80.1±0.03 mV/pH with R <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> of 0.998 is achieved with the developed sensor. Moreover, a printed circuit board (PCB) with high thermal conductivity was used as the sensor base to provide a uniform temperature distribution during the reaction. The results show that the system maintains a stable LAMP assay temperature of 63°C with a variation of just 0.25°C. Moreover, in a pH-sensitive LAMP assay, the developed sensor achieves a limit-of-detection down to 10 genomic copies per reaction of lambda phage DNA within 17 minutes. The novel and performance iso-thermal EG-FET system is capable of real-time detecting the LAMP DNA amplification, and thus has significant potential for future biomedical applications.

Preparation of Copper Oxide Films by Electrochemical Deposition Technique for Extended Gate Field Effect Transistor pH Sensor

In this work, copper oxide (CuO) film was prepared by electrochemical deposition technique on commercial indium-tin oxide/glass substrate with two electrode configuration. The precursor solution was the 0.1 molar aqueous of copper sulfate. The films were prepared at different times of 30 to 120 second. Then, the deposited films were annealed at 450 °C to achieve CuO film. The influence of electro-deposition voltage and deposition times on structural property, morphological features had been studied. The CuO films were used to fabricate the pH sensor based on extended-gate field effect transistor (EGFET). The sensitivity and linearity of prepared device was performed in the standard buffer solutions with pH range of 2-12. It was found that the device demonstrated the sensitivity and linearity of 28.5 mV/pH and 90.1 %. It can be seen that the prepared CuO films can be used as pH sensing application with EGFET device.

Detection of L-cysteine in urine samples based on CdS/TiO2-modified extended-gate field-effect transistor photoelectrochemical sensor.

A novel extended-gate field-effect transistor (FET) photoelectrochemical (EGFET PEC) sensor was designed for highly sensitive detection of L-cysteine (L-Cys). TiO2 was initially modified on the ITO electrode by the sol-gel dip-coating method and calcined to produce TiO2/ITO. Then, CdS was synthesized on the TiO2 surface by hydrothermal method to obtain the CdS-TiO2 heterojunction material. CdS/TiO2/ITO was connected to the gate of the FET to obtain an EGFET PEC sensor. Under the irradiation of a xenon lamp simulating visible light, the CdS/TiO2 heterojunction composite absorbs light energy to produce photogenerated electron-hole pairs, which have strong photocatalytic oxidation activity and oxidize L-Cys covalently identified by Cd(II) through CdS covalent. These pairs generate a photovoltage that controls the current between the source and the drain to detect L-Cys. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the optical drain current (ID) of the sensor exhibited a good linear relationship with the logarithm of L-Cys in the range of 5.0 × 10-9-1.0 × 10-6 mol/L, and the detection limit was 1.3 × 10-9 mol/L (S/N = 3), which is lower than the values reported by other detection methods. Results showed that the CdS/TiO2/ITO EGFET PEC sensor revealed high sensitivity and good selectivity. The sensor has been used to determine L-Cys in urine samples.

Development of a molecularly imprinted photochemical sensor based on Bi2O3/TiO2 NTs heterojunction extended-gate field-effect transistor for the determination of trace neomycin

A novel extended-gate field-effect transistor based molecularly imprinted polymer photoelectrochemical (EGFET-MIP-PEC) sensor was constructed for the detection of neomycin in meat samples. Bi2O3/TiO2 NTs heterojunction materials were synthesized by anodic oxidation and electrodeposition. With neomycin as the template and 3-aminophenylboronic acid as the functional monomer, a molecularly imprinted film was prepared on the Bi2O3/TiO2 NTs electrode by electropolymerization. The MIP/Bi2O3/TiO2 NTs electrode was connected to an extended-gate field-effect transistor. Under the irradiation of xenon lamp simulated visible light, the holes generated on the MIP/Bi2O3/TiO2 NTs electrodes oxidize the neomycin adsorbed by the molecularly imprinted film, generating a photovoltage, which causes the gate voltage of the extended-gate field-effect transistor to change, thereby increasing the source-drain current. The sensor showed good linearity with the source-drain current in the neomycin concentration range of 5.0 × 10−13–5.0 × 10−8 mol L−1, with a detection limit of 1.0 × 10−13 mol L−1(3σ/S). Owing to the amplification of EGFET on photoelectrochemical signal produced by the Bi2O3/TiO2 NTs heterojunction with high photoelectric conversion efficiency and wider wavelength range of optical response, the sensitivity of the sensor was significantly improved. The selectivity of the sensor was remarkably enhanced due to the MIP film.

Structural characteristics and sensing capabilities of stacked Ti/Ni sensitive film for extended-gate field-effect transistor solid-state pH sensors

This study describes a straightforward approach for fabricating stacked Ti/Ni sensitive membranes on n+-type Si substrates using dc sputtering to build solid-state extended-gate field-effect transistor (EGFET) pH sensors. The effects of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) temperature (500–700 °C) and ambient (N2 or O2) on the structural characteristics of stacked Ti/Ni sensitive films were fully explored. We used X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to characterize the chemical compositions, element profiles, film structures, surface morphologies, film microstructures, and film compositions of the stacked Ti/Ni sensitive films. The relative structural characteristics of the stacked Ti/Ni sensitive films have a significant impact on their sensing capabilities. The most effective sensing performance, such as pH sensitivity, drift, and hysteresis, was achieved at an RTA temperature of 600 °C and in the presence of N2 gas among various RTA temperatures and annealing ambient. Due to its compact size and strong stability, the stacked Ti/Ni sensitive film shows great potential for use in future pH sensor and biosensor applications.

Structural properties and sensing performance of Ni–Ti alloy films for extended-gate field-effect transistor pH sensors

This study presents a facile Ni–Ti alloyed film grown on the n+-type Si through a DC sputtering technique for electrochemical pH sensing and its comprehensive structural, morphological, compositional, profiling, microstructural, and elemental characterization. In addition to pH sensing measurements, the properties of the sensing layer were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. The impact of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) treatment (500–700 °C) on the alloyed Ni–Ti sensitive films was extensively studied. The structural feature of the alloyed Ni–Ti sensitive films is more closely related to their relative sensing performances. The performance of the alloyed Ni–Ti sensitive film at the RTA temperature of 600 °C showed a higher pH sensitivity of 60.73 mV/pH in a wide pH range of 2–12 in comparison with other RTA temperatures. Moreover, the stability of this 600 °C-annealed EGFET sensor exhibited a small drift rate of 0.21 mV/h in pH 7 and a low hysteresis voltage of 1 mV in a loop of pH 7 → 4→7 → 10→7. The alloyed Ni–Ti sensitive film is fully compatible with a standard CMOS process and demonstrates better sensing performance than other metal nitride sensitive films (e.g. RuN, TiN), suggesting it may be a strong candidate for future sensor and biosensor applications.

Fabrication of integrated all-solid titanium dioxide and silver/silver chloride electrodes for facile pH electrochemical detection via extended-gate field effect transistor transducing method

Fabrication of integrated all-solid titanium dioxide and silver/silver chloride electrodes for facile pH electrochemical detection via extended-gate field effect transistor transducing method

Transparent and High-Performance Extended Gate Ion-Sensitive Field-Effect Transistors Using Electrospun Indium Tin Oxide Nanofibers

Herein, we propose a transparent high-performance extended-gate ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (EG-ISFET) using an electrospun indium-tin-oxide (ITO) nanofiber sensing membrane with a high specific surface area. Electrospinning is a simple and effective technique for forming nanofibers. Nevertheless, one-step calcination, such as conventional thermal annealing or microwave annealing, cannot sufficiently eliminate the inherent defects of nanofibers. In this study, we efficiently removed residual polymers and internal impurities from nanofibers via a two-step calcination process involving combustion and microwave annealing. Moreover, Ar plasma treatment was performed to improve the electrical characteristics of ITO nanofibers. Conformally coated thin-film sensing membranes were prepared as a comparative group and subjected to the same calcination conditions to verify the effect of the nanofiber sensing membrane. The characteristics of the ITO nanofiber and ITO thin-film sensing membranes were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), optical transmittance, and conductivity. Moreover, the sensor operation of the EG-ISFETs is evaluated in terms of sensitivity and non-ideal behaviors. The optimized process improves the sensor characteristics and sensing membrane quality. Therefore, the ITO nanofiber sensing membrane improves the sensitivity and stability of the EG-ISFET, suggesting its applicability as a high-performance biochemical sensor.

Impact of rapid thermal annealing on structural and sensing properties of Ni–Ti sensitive films for extended-gate field-effect transistor pH sensors

In the present work, a facile Ni–Ti film deposited on n+-type Si substrate is introduced as a sensitive film for the development of a solid-state extended-gate field-effect transistor (EGFET) pH sensor. Influence of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) treatment (500–700 °C) on structural properties of the Ni–Ti sensitive films was extensively investigated. The film structures, surface morphologies, element profiles, film microstructures, and chemical compositions of the Ni–Ti sensitive films were characterized by a combination of X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The structural features of the Ni–Ti sensitive films are most closely related to their sensing characteristics. The experimental results indicated that the Ni–Ti sensitive film annealed at the RTA temperature of 600 °C exhibited better sensing performances (a higher pH sensitivity of 71.01 mV/pH, a lower hysteresis voltage of 1 mV and a smaller drift rate of 0.15 mV/h) than other RTA temperatures. The proposed Ni–Ti sensitive film is expected to be effectively useful for various long-term pH sensor and biosensor applications, since it satisfies the typically required sensing performances such as sensitivity and stability.

Aptamer-Based Electric-Double -Layer (EDL) Extended-Gated FET Biosensor for Detection of Cadmium Ion

In this study, we developed an electric double-layer (EDL) extended-gate field effect transistor sensor based on aptamers to detect cadmium ions (Cd2+). Since the aptamer has a specific binding ability to cadmium ions. The signal is amplified through the transconductance of the FET. The linear detection range of this sensor for cadmium ions is from 1 nM to 10 uM. The Cd2+ calibration curve is shown a high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.981) and an excellent detection limit as low as 0.094 nM. Importantly, it responds to Cd2+ within 10 seconds. The sensor exhibits high selectivity in the presence of other heavy metals. It also can be reused without significant signal attenuation. The advantages of this method are convenient portability, short detection time, high sensitivity, and simple operation. It has a good prospect for detection in the daily life of cadmium environmental pollution.