A Comprehensive Review on Tunnel Field-Effect Transistor (TFET) Based Biosensors: Recent Advances and Future Prospects on Device Structure and Sensitivity

Abstract

In this fast-growing technological world biosensors become more substantial in human life and the extensive use of biosensors creates enormous research interest among researchers to define different approaches to detect biomolecules. The FET based biosensors have gained a lot of attention among all because of its high detection ability, low power, low cost, label-free detection of biomolecules, and CMOS compatible on-chip integration. The sensitivity of the biosensor inversely proportional to device size since they detect low concentration yields quick response time. Although FET based biosensor is having a lot of advantages among others but the short channel effects (SCE's) and the theoretical limitation on the subthreshold swing (SS > 60mv/dec) of the FET leads to restrict device sensitivity and also have higher power dissipation due to the thermionic emission of electrons. To avoid these problems researchers focus shifts to the new technology FET based biosensors i.e. TFET based biosensors which are having low power and superior characteristics due to Band to band tunneling of carrier and steep subthreshold swing. This manuscript describes the full-fledged detail about the TFET based biosensors right from unfolding the device evaluation to biosensor application which includes qualitative and quantitative parameters analysis study like sensitivity parameters and different factors affecting the sensitivity by comparing different structures and the mechanisms involved. The manuscript also describes a brief review of different sensitivity parameters and improvement techniques. This manuscript will give researchers a brief idea for developing for the future generation TFET biosensors with better performance and ease of fabrication.

Design and Simulation of InP and Silicon Nanowires With Different Channel Characteristic as Biosensors to Improve Output Sensitivity

“…5a to Fig. 5f [35]. The surface of channel is applied with negative QF of −0.110 12 cm -2 , −0.510 12 cm -2 , and −110 12 cm -2 to mimic the different concentrations of target biomolecules [28].…”

“…These results show that all the simulated SiNW (InPNW) channel doping is affected by the application of different Q F values applied on them, hence indicate that the SiNW (InPNW) channel detect different target analyte concentrations that will be captured by the bioreceptor immobilized onto the device. The detection will be signified by the relative change in ID, which is the percentage difference of ID before and after detection [35]. InPNW -FET graph for biosensors at different channel doping of 0.1×10 14 cm -3 , 1×10 14 cm -3 , 10×10 14 cm -3 when applied with different Q F of −0.110 12 cm -2 , −0.510 12 cm -2 , and −1.010 12 cm -2 .…”

Performance analysis of Z‐shaped gate dielectric modulated (DM) tunnel field‐effect transistor‐(TFET) based biosensor with extended horizontal N+ pocket

“…The conventional FET size is scaled down to improve the performance in terms of speed and power consumption but it is limited and restricted due to the encounter of the short channel effects (SECs) and high leakage current. The fundamental limitation on the minimum achievable subthreshold swing (SS > 60mv/dec) and the SCEs are treated as the major setback for the improvement of performance for the CFET‐based biosensors 11,12 …”

Nanowire gate all around-TFET-based biosensor by considering ambipolar transport

“…Many researchers were impressed and inspired by the FET-based biosensors' characteristics, carried out immense research, and reported a good and fruitful development in FET-based biosensors. The performance of the FET-based biosensors is high in class, but still, they are beyond touching the tip of the sensitivity because of the following hectic issues (1) the theoretical constraint on the minimum achievable subthreshold slope (SS > 60mv/dec) due to Boltzmann tyranny [KBT/q ln (10)] and (2) the short channel effects experience by the FET device in the process of curtailing and scaling [8].…”

“…In recent times, the tunnel field-effect transistor (TFET) has become a prominent substitute to the CFET by employing a distinct and unique carrier transport mechanism bandto-band tunneling form source to channel with a minimal gate voltage [8][9][10]. The TFET can exhibit a superior subthreshold swing (SS < 60 mv/dec), which is the key performance metric for designing highly efficient biosensors.…”