Chemical sensing and/or measuring devices and methods

摘要

Methods for fabricating silicon nanowire chemical sensing devices, devices thus obtained, and methods for utilizing devices for sensing and measuring chemical concentration of selected species in a fluid are described. Devices may comprise a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) structure.

主权项

1. A method for fabricating a device, the method comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate with a planar surface; forming at least one semiconductor nanopillar on the semiconductor substrate and perpendicular to the planar surface; covering the semiconductor nanopillar with an insulating layer; depositing a conductive layer on the insulating layer, such that all space between the conductive layer and the semiconductor nanopillar is completely filled by the insulating layer; covering a portion of the conductive layer with a masking layer; removing a conductive layer end of the conductive layer and an insulating layer end of the insulating layer, wherein the conductive layer end and the insulating layer end are not covered by the masking layer, thus exposing an uninsulated pillar end; removing the masking layer; and forming a functional layer on the conductive layer, such that the insulating layer end of the insulating layer protrudes beyond the conductive layer end of the conductive layer and terminates before the uninsulated pillar end, wherein the functional layer is a bilayer comprising:
a chemical-attracting layer configured to attract a selected type of chemical species; anda semi-permeable insulating layer on the attractive layer, the semi-permeable insulating layer configured to allow the selected type of chemical species to pass through and configured to insulate the attractive layer and the conductive layer of the device.