MOSFET-Embedded Microcantilevers: An All-Electronic Label- and Optics-Free Signal Transduction Paradigm for Bio-Chem Sensing

We recently introduced all-electronic label- and optics-free detection paradigm for biochemical binding events on metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET)-embedded microcantilevers. Microcantilever bending as small as ~5 nm, leads to a measurable and reproducible change in the MOSFET drain current, which forms the basis for the microelectronics-based detection of molecular binding events. MOSFET-embedded microcantilevers are able to detect diverse probe-target binding events, ranging from DNA hybridization to protein-protein binding, at high sensitivity. Such label- and optics-free all-electronic MOSFET detection approach will bridge the current gap between integration of nano-bio nanostructures with microelectronics, and promises a universal and widely deployable bio-chem diagnosis platform, compatible with all the advantages of established CMOS technology for wide variety of biomolecular and chemical detection and diagnosis.