Fabrication and Characterization of a Surface-Acoustic-Wave Biosensor in CMOS Technology for Cancer Biomarker...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Early detection of breast cancer is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
• Existing diagnostic methods often lack the required sensitivity, specificity, or cost-effectiveness.
• There is a need for advanced biosensing technologies to detect cancer biomarkers in serum.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, fabricate, and characterize a novel surface acoustic wave (SAW) biosensor integrated with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology.
• To develop a sensitive and specific immunoassay for detecting the breast cancer biomarker mammoglobin (hMAM).
• To evaluate the performance of CMOS-SAW devices as a cost-effective alternative for biosensing applications.

Main Methods:

• Development of two CMOS-SAW biosensor architectures (circular and rectangular).
• Implementation of a five-layer streptavidin/biotin-based immunoassay for hMAM detection.
• Characterization of sensor performance, focusing on center frequency shifts for sensitivity analysis.
• Selectivity testing against bovine serum albumin.

Main Results:

• Achieved a frequency sensitivity of 8.704 pg/Hz and a mass sensitivity of 2810.25 m²/kg.
• Demonstrated successful attachment of cancer biomarkers to functionalized sensor surfaces.
• Confirmed selective detection of hMAM antigens with high sensitivity and specificity.
• Observed improved repeatability of fabrication compared to existing technologies.

Conclusions:

• CMOS-SAW biosensors offer a promising platform for sensitive and specific detection of breast cancer biomarkers.
• The developed immunoassay enables early detection, prognosis, and therapy monitoring for breast cancer.
• This technology presents a viable, low-cost alternative to current biosensor systems with enhanced performance.