Ultrasensitive Biochemical Sensing Platform Enabled by Directly Grown Graphene on Insulator
Qiushi Jing1, Junjiang Liu2, Huanming Wang2
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|December 17, 2023
Summary
Directly grown graphene biosensors achieve ultrasensitive SARS-CoV-2 detection, outperforming traditional methods. This breakthrough enables rapid, label-free diagnostics with significant economic and social benefits.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biosensors
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Directly grown graphene on substrates is challenging due to disordered structures and inferior electrical properties.
- This has historically limited its use in high-performance sensor applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate label-free, rapid semiconducting biosensor devices using directly grown graphene.
- To investigate the sensing performance of graphene biosensors fabricated via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of graphene biosensor chips using direct PECVD growth on a 4-inch silicon wafer.
- Optimization of graphene biosensor operation for ultrasensitive detection.
- Noise spectral characterizations to identify factors limiting the limit of detection (LOD).
Main Results:
- Achieved excellent film uniformity and high yield in PECVD-grown graphene.
- Demonstrated ultrasensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus nucleocapsid protein down to sub-femtomolar concentrations.
- Identified molecular diffusion and sensor instability as LOD limitations, not graphene electrical properties.
Conclusions:
- Directly grown PECVD graphene can be processed into high-performance sensor devices.
- This approach offers significant economic benefits and social importance for diagnostics.
- Graphene biosensors show comparable or superior performance to state-of-the-art devices.
