Numerical Simulation on Sensitivity Modulation in Nanowire MOSFEB Detector for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

The work aims to investigate and evaluate the biodetection capability of a nanowire MOSFEB detector for label-free biomedical applications. The study adopts a numerical computational-cum-simulation methodology to modulate, control and optimize sensitivity through dielectric modulation. Doping, a controllable factor prior to the fabrication process, plays a crucial role in enhancing the sensitivity of similar biosensors, thus making this work valuable. It is evident in the study that lower doping levels in the source and drain result in a greater percentage change in sensing metrics, whereas higher doping levels lead to a more significant relative change in sensing metrics. Additionally, the study comprehensively investigates the effect of drain voltage, material engineering, cavity dimensions/location, temperature, and device parameters on sensitivity. Sensitivity improvements of 18.573%, 13.979%, and 13.459% are achieved through gate, oxide, and channel engineering, respectively in the proposed biosensor. The study also addresses effect of trap charges on device reliability, alongside the calculation of the limit of detection. The results indicate that the silicon source exhibits better reliability and fewer short channel effects compared to other materials. Practical limiting factors have been taken into consideration in terms of non-unity fill-in factor and different filling profiles. The detector has also been compared with its junctionless variant, demonstrating a sensitivity enhancement of 95.716 mV for K_bio=5. The nanowire detector has been benchmarked against reported works in literature in terms of sensitivity.