Electrostatic Selectivity of Volatile Organic Compounds Using Electrostatically Formed Nanowire Sensor

Abstract

For the past several decades, there is growing demand for the development of low-power gas sensing technology for the selective detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), important for monitoring safety, pollution, and healthcare. Here we report the selective detection of homologous alcohols and different functional groups containing VOCs using the electrostatically formed nanowire (EFN) sensor without any surface modification of the device. Selectivity toward specific VOC is achieved by training machine-learning based classifiers using the calculated changes in the threshold voltage and the drain-source on current, obtained from systematically controlled biasing of the surrounding gates (junction and back gates) of the field-effect transistors (FET). This work paves the way for a Si complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-based FET device as an electrostatically selective sensor suitable for mass production and low-power sensing technology.

Breath Analysis: A Promising Tool for Disease Diagnosis—The Role of Sensors

“…p-Type MOS NWs are also reported to achieve effective VOC detection, such as CuO NWs for NO 2 and ethanol detection, with ethanol response being reversible by temperature increase due to oxidation towards CO 2 and water and electron transfer from water to CuO NWs [ 160 ]. Complementary-MOS based sensors have also been investigated, along with pattern recognition methods, especially for acetone, acetic acid ethanol, propanol, butanol, and hexanol discrimination [ 161 ]. In this case, only one sensor can be used, rather than a sensor array, as selectivity can be achieved by alternating the drain-source and gate potential and without any further modification [ 161 ].…”

“…Complementary-MOS based sensors have also been investigated, along with pattern recognition methods, especially for acetone, acetic acid ethanol, propanol, butanol, and hexanol discrimination [ 161 ]. In this case, only one sensor can be used, rather than a sensor array, as selectivity can be achieved by alternating the drain-source and gate potential and without any further modification [ 161 ]. Concerning FET arrays based on different nanomaterials, n-type semiconducting In 2 O 3 , SnO 2 , and ZnO NWs combined with a SWCNT-FET have successfully discriminated H 2 , NO 2 , and ethanol [ 162 ].…”

Electrical detection of ppb region NO2 using Mg-porphyrin-modified graphene field-effect transistors

“…The target gases mainly include organic gases (hydrocarbons and alcohols) and reductive inorganic gases (H2 and NH3) because the metal-oxide semiconductor uses the oxidation reactions at the gas-solid interface as the detection mechanism. 10,11 However, metal-oxide semiconductors are not suitable for trace and selective detection of inorganic acidic gases as oxidants because they have low sensitivity and are easily disturbed by other gases. Moreover, metal-oxide semiconductor sensors can detect only in the sub-part-permillion (ppm) region and require an external heating system to induce the oxidation reaction on its surface.…”

A Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer-Based Resonant Sensor Array for Portable Volatile Organic Compound Detection with Wireless Systems

“…Thus, accurate monitoring of VOCs in the workplace and at home is essential [2]. Currently, the standard analytical methods to determine the levels of VOCs are mass spectrometry (MS) and gas chromatography (GC)-MS [3]. These methods exhibit high sensitivity and selectivity to a target chemical in a gas mixture but are often expensive and require bulky instruments.…”