Complementary Silicon Nanowire Hydrogen Ion Sensor With High Sensitivity and Voltage Output

Complementary Si nanowire (SiNW) hydrogen ion sensors with high sensitivity and robust voltage output are demonstrated on a 6-in silicon-on-insulator wafer using a conventional wafer-level top-down process. The proposed SiNW sensors exhibit a logic threshold voltage shift of 88.9 mV/pH and an output voltage swing of 162 mV/pH. Furthermore, a simplified analytical model confirms that the proposed sensors have an output voltage swing that is 1.6 times larger than single SiNW sensor counterparts with a resistive load. Therefore, the proposed fabrication approach is expected to be a good solution for a very sensitive voltage readout scheme for the mass production of top-down processed biosensors.