Design and Simulation Analysis of Electrolyte-Gated Aluminum Oxide Organic Thin-Film Transistor Biosensor for High Sensitivity

In this article, an electrolyte-gated aluminum oxide thin-film transistor with a pentacene structure has been developed as an effective pH sensor. It has a high sensitivity, low power consumption, and low pH resolution. Electrolyte-gated organic semiconductor materials improve the performance of pentacene-based pH sensors. Aluminum oxide is an insulation material for organic semiconductors in the proposed structure. Organic thin-film transistor’s (OTFT) current sensitivity was determined using a 2-D transport charge model, which provided physical insight into electrolyte transport. Atlas TCAD simulation tool was used to calculate voltage and drain current sensitivity to Al2O3. The proposed architecture achieved a voltage sensitivity of 255.9 mV/pH, four times greater than the Nernst limit. The pH sensor is suitable for various applications due to its high sensitivity and low power consumption. As a result, it can be used in environmental monitoring to detect changes in water quality, in healthcare to monitor pH levels in bodily fluids, or in industrial processes to ensure optimal pH levels during chemical reactions.