Biomedical Instrumentation

Ms. Divya B AP/BME

Ion selective filed effective transistor
 • ISFET employ the same electrochemical principles in
their measurement as ion selective electrodes.

• ISFET is produced by removal of the metal gate region

that is present on a field effect transistor.

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 fig_10_17
Figure 10.17 (a) In a
chemically sensitive
field-effect transistor, the
ion-selective membrane
modulates the current
between the source and
the drain. (b) A stretched
ISFET maximizes the
spacing between the
“wet” sample region and
the electric connections.
(Part (b) from P. Rolfe, “In
vivo chemical sensors
for intensive-care
monitoring,” Med. Biol.
Eng. Comput., 1990, 28.
Used by permission.)
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5
 • A MOSFET is composed of two diodes separated by a
gate region.
• The gate is thin insulator usually silicon dioxide up on
which a metallic material is deposited .
• This gate material can be any conducting material .
• Voltage applied on the gate electric field in the dielectric
and thus the charge on the silicon surface.
• The high input impedance results from the gate
insulator , which is essential for the operation of ISFET.

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 • To improve the pH sensitivity and stability of silicon diode
layer, a silicon nitride layer is placed over the silicon
dioxide.
• Potential developed across the insulator depends on the
electrolyte concentration of the solution in contact with
the ion selective membrane.
• ISFET measures the potential at the gate, this potential
is derived through an ion selective process, in which ion
passing the ion selective membrane modulate the
current between the source and drain.
• The voltage across the gate region changes, and thus
the field effect transistor current flows.

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 Uses & Applications
• The initial use of ISFET will involve small volumes of
analytes and measurement time of only few seconds.
• This measurement speed is fast compared to the several
minutes required in a typical laboratory analysis.
• Used for monitoring blood electrolytes and could be used
for measurements inside a cell

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 fig_10_18

Figure 10.18 Dependence of current on potassium ion

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activity for a potassium ion-sensitive field-effect
transistor.