Indium arsenide nanowire field-effect transistors for pH and biological sensing

Indium Arsenide is a high mobility semiconductor with a surface electron accumulation layer that allows ohmic electrical contact to metals. Here, we present nanowire devices based on this material as a platform for chemical and biological sensing. The sensing principle involves the binding of a charged species at the sensor surface transduced via field effect into a change in current flowing through the sensor. We show the sensitivity of the platform to the H+ ion concentration in solution as proof of principle and demonstrate the sensitivity to larger charged protein species. The sensors are highly reproducible and reach a detection limit of 10 pM for Avidin. © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.