A new method is presented for patterning surfaces with gradient properties. The method is based on magnetolithography in which the surface patterning is performed by applying a gradient of a magnetic field on the substrate, using paramagnetic metal masks in the presence of a constant magnetic field. Superparamagnetic nanoparticles (NPs) are deposited on the substrate, and they assemble according to the field and its gradients induced by the mask. Once they pattern the substrate, they protect their sites on the substrate from interacting with any other species. The areas not protected by the NPs can be covered by molecules that chemically bind to the substrate. After these molecules are bound, the NPs are removed, and other molecules may be adsorbed on the newly exposed area. The new technique is based on a parallel process that can be carried out on a full wafer. It provides high resolution, it creates gradient continuously from sub-micrometers to millimeters, and it can be performed on surfaces that are not flat and that are even on the inside of a tube. The gradient that is formed is not limited to a specific property or type of substrate.

A biosensor for ammonia is developed aimed at detecting the presence of H. pylori bacteria in gastric fluids. The sensor is based on a GaAs device coated with a unique functional polymer that enables high device sensitivity to low concentrations of ammonia and long‐term protection in harsh environments. The detection of ammonia in gastric fluids taken from patients is possible by covering the device with a dialysis membrane, thus enabling the diffusion of only small molecules to the sensing area, while preventing agglomeration of macromolecules on the surface of the device. The mechanism by which ammonia is detected is investigated and an analytical expression is provided relating the response of the detector to the ammonia concentration and the pH of the solution.

We review some of the sensors based on the molecular control semiconductor resistor (MOCSER) technology. The technology can be applied for developing highly sensitive and selective molecular sensors that operate both in gas and in liquid environments. Specifically, we describe here a set of GaAs gas‐phase sensors based on an array constructed from several elements, each coated with a different sensing molecule. Coating the same semiconductor device with an ultrathin polymer layer also allows the use of the device in a harsh liquid environment and in performing measurements in physiological liquids. Hence, the MOCSER‐based platform opens the way for producing inexpensive, easy to use, and robust sensors for a wide variety of applications.