Detection of Influenza Virus Using a SOI-Nanoribbon Chip, Based on an N-Type Field-Effect Transistor

The detection of influenza A virions with a nanoribbon detector (NR detector) has been demonstrated. Chips for the detector have been fabricated based on silicon-on-insulator nanoribbon structures (SOI nanoribbon chip), using a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible technology-by means of gas-phase etching and standard optical photolithography. The surface of the SOI nanoribbon chip contains a matrix of 10 nanoribbon (NR) sensor elements. SOI nanoribbon chips of n-type conductance have been used for this study. For biospecific detection of target particles, antibodies against influenza virus have been covalently immobilized onto NRs. Influenza A virus detection was performed by real-time registration of the source-drain current through the NRs. The detection of the target viral particles was carried out in buffer solutions at the target particles concentration within the range from 10⁷ to 10³ viral particles per milliliter (VP/mL). The lowest detectable concentration of the target viral particles was 6 × 10^-16 M (corresponding to 10⁴ VP/mL). The use of solutions containing ~10⁹ to 10¹⁰ VP/mL resulted in saturation of the sensor surface with the target virions. In the saturation mode, detection was impossible.