FET Nanopore Sensor

Abstract

A method of using a sensor comprising a field effect transistor (FET) embedded in a nanopore includes placing the sensor in an electrolyte comprising at least one of biomolecules and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA); placing an electrode in the electrolyte; applying a gate voltage in the sub-threshold regime to the electrode; applying a drain voltage to a drain of the FET; applying a source voltage to a source of the FET; detecting a change in a drain current in the sensor in response to the at least one of biomolecules and DNA passing through the nanopore.

1 . A method of using a sensor comprising a field effect transistor (FET) embedded in a nanopore, the method comprising:
 placing the sensor in an electrolyte comprising at least one of biomolecules and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA);   placing an electrode in the electrolyte;   applying a gate voltage in the sub-threshold regime to the electrode;   applying a drain voltage to a drain of the FET;   applying a source voltage to a source of the FET;   detecting a change in a drain current in the sensor in response to the at least one of biomolecules and DNA passing through the nanopore.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the FET comprises a FET stack, the FET stack comprising:
 a source layer including a first type of doped ions;   a drain layer including a second type of doped ions matching the first type of doped ions; and   a channel layer interposed between the drain layer and the source layer, the channel layer including a third type of doped ions being different from the first and second type of doped ions on a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer to inhibit the first type of doped ions and the second type of doped ions from diffusing into the channel layer.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising sequencing a DNA strand passing through the nanopore based on the change in drain current. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising determining a size of the at least one biomolecules and the DNA strand, and sizing the nanopore based on the determined size. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising applying a force to the at least one biomolecules and the DNA strand to promote passage of the at least one biomolecules and the DNA strand through the nanopore. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the FET stack includes:
 a top silicon nitride layer over the FET stack;   a bottom silicon nitride layer under the SOI wafer;   a window in the bottom silicon nitride and the SOI wafer; and   
       a nanopore in the FET stack, the nanopore coated with a gate dielectric to form the FET sensor 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the channel layer has a thickness of about  3  nanometers or less. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the channel layer has a thickness of about  1  nanometer or less. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the nanopore is coated in a gate dielectric, the gate dielectric comprising a high-k oxide material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the drain layer and the source layer comprise heavily doped n-type silicon; and
 wherein the channel layer comprises lightly doped p-type silicon germanium or silicon carbide, and the channel layer is further doped with boron.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the drain layer and the source layer comprise a heavily doped p-type material comprising one of silicon germanium, silicon germanium carbide, or silicon carbide, and the drain layer and source layer are further doped with boron, and wherein the channel layer comprises lightly doped n-type silicon. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the drain layer and the source layer comprise a metal silicide, the metal silicide comprising at least one of platinum (Pt), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), titanium (Ti), erbium (Er), ytterbium (Yb), or nickel platinum (NiPt), and wherein the channel layer comprises silicon.