For point-of-care (POC) applications, robust, ultrasensitive, small, rapid, low-power and low-cost sensors are highly desirable. Here, we present a novel biosensor based on a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible silicon nanowire tunneling field-effect transistor (SiNW-TFET). They were fabricated “top-down” with a low-cost anisotropic self-stop etching technique. Notably, the SiNW-TFET device provided strong anti-interference capacity by applying the inherent ambipolarity via both pH and CYFRA21-1 sensing. This offered a more robust and portable general protocol. The specific label-free detection of CYFRA21-1 down to 0.5 fgml⁻¹ or ~12.5 aM was achieved using a highly responsive SiNW-TFET device with a minimum sub-threshold slope (SS) of 37 mVdec⁻¹. Furthermore, real-time measurements highlighted the ability to use clinically relevant samples such as serum. The developed high performance diagnostic system is expected to provide a generic platform for numerous POC applications.

Ultrasensitive and complementary electrical detection of prostate cancer biomarkers with n- and p-type silicon nanowire sensor arrays.

VO₂(A) emitters with a 10 nm gap between the emitter and the collector were fabricated with the aid of focused ion beam etching. Due to the extremely small electrode gap, high emission currents (upto 53 μA at 1 V) and excellent emission stability were achieved in air with a turn-on voltage as low as 0.46 V. The field emission behavior exhibits a temperature dependence, which is attributed to the temperature-induced reduction of the work function. This work provides a practical way to ease the demand of high vacuum and high operation voltage in vacuum devices, which is helpful for developing low-power nanoscale vacuum devices.

An emission-stable nanoscale air channel diode, consisting of two asymmetric flat emitters and a sub-100 nm air channel, is proposed and fabricated by a low-cost and IC compatible BOE Etching Process.