Conference for Technologies for Sustainable Development TSD2011 – DOCINADE – Cartago, Costa Rica – February 2011

Nanosensors: an overview of
sensing principles in nanotechnology
Paola Vega-Castillo
Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica
Programa de Investigación en Nanotecnología
Abstract
Nanosensors are expected to offer a solution for Interdigitated capacitors/resistors
ultrasensitive sensing at low cost, small size and low power
consumption for physical, chemical and biological Contact
variables. Nanoporous membrane
Gold
Advantages of nanosensors

•High integration density

•Large surface area to volume ratio, high aspect ratio
•Fast response and recovery at room temperature or under
heating
• High sensitivity and selectivity
•Low power consumption
•Size compatibility with biological species

Contact
Functionalized Nano FETs
Nanoporous materials contacted by metal electrodes change their
Analyte capacitance, resistance, or both due to enhanced adsorption or
Linking
molecule
absorption caused by the nanopores. Both effects have been
applied to change the permittivity or the conductivity of the
Current sensing layer.

Contact
oInsulator
Substrate
The change in the I-V characteristics of the transistor can be
caused by:
1) carrier transfer from the analyte to the nanotubes, acting as
nanowire doping, modifying the threshold voltage.
2) change in the capacitance of the nanowire by attraction or
repulsion of charge by the analyte, causing a similar effect as a
change in permittivity
3) modification of the energy levels at the contact due to
adsorption of the analyte at the nanowire contacts
4) change in mobility due to the scattering caused by the adsorbed
or encapsulated analyte at the surface of the nanotubes
Ionization gas sensors
Fas ionization under high electric field cause an emission current
peak to flow at a breakdown voltage that is characteristic of the
gas.
Due to the ability to grow dense “forests” of vertically aligned CNTs
and their high aspect ratio, CNTs are used as ionization tips that
create high electric fields at lower voltages than traditional
ionization sensors, with reported voltages as low as 20V. Since
their operation is not based on a chemical reaction, these sensors
are faster.

Al Cathode

Metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors Insulator

Si Anode
In this case, nanoporous materials are deposited to one
electrode of the capacitor to change its charge and potential by CNTs
chemical reaction with the analyte or its adsorption.

Contacts to CNTs

Conclusions
Pt
SiO2 •Development of methods for mass production and compatibility
Degenerate Si
with silicon technology including packaging.
•Fabrication cost must decrease, reliability and reproducibility
CNTs
must reach the level of maturity of silicon technology
•In CNTs better control of chirality and diameter is required
•Large scale separation of MWCNTs y SWCNTs is necessary
• Functionalization makes possible using CNT for sensing
different variables
Bottom electrode •Nanosensors have the potential to make the semiconductor
industry achieve the “More than Moore” breakthrough.