Investigating on sensing mechanism of MoS₂-FET biosensors in response to proteins

Field-effect transistor (FET) biosensors based on two-dimensional materials have gained extensive attention due to their high sensitivity, label-free detection capability, and fast response. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), with tunable bandgap, high surface-to-volume ratio, and smooth surface without dangling bonds, is a promising material for FET biosensors. Previous reports have demonstrated the fabrication of MoS₂-FET biosensors and their high sensitivity detection of proteins. However, most prior research has focused on the realization of MoS₂-FETs for detecting different kinds of proteins or molecules, while comprehensive analysis of the sensing mechanism and dominant device factors of MoS₂-FETs in response to proteins is yet to investigate. In this study, we first fabricated MoS₂-FET biosensor and detected different types of proteins (immunoglobulin G (IgG),β-actin, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA)). Secondly, we built the model of the device and analyzed the sensing mechanism of MoS₂-FETs in response to proteins. Experimental and modeling results showed that the induced doping effect and gating effect caused by the target protein binding to the device surface were the major influential factors. Specifically, the channel doping concentration and gate voltage (V_g) offset exhibited monotonic change as the concentration of the protein solution increases. For example, the channel doping concentration increased up to ∼37.9% and theV_goffset was ∼-1.3 V with 10^-7μgμl^-1IgG. The change was less affected by the device size. We also investigated the effects of proteins with opposite acid-base properties (β-actin and PSA) to IgG on the device sensing mechanism.β-actin and PSA exhibited behavior opposite to that of IgG. Additionally, we studied the response behavior of MoS₂-FETs with different dimensions and dielectric materials (channel length, MoS₂thickness, dielectric layer thickness, dielectric layer material) to proteins. The underlying mechanisms were discussed in details. This study provides valuable guidelines for the design and application of MoS₂-FET biosensors.