Negative capacitance semiconductor sensor

• Main Authors: Ionescu, Mihai Adrian, Saeidi, Ali, Bellando, Francesco
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.03.2022
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; TESTING

A semiconductor sensor includes a source element; a drain element; and a semiconductor channel element between the source element and the drain element, forming an electrically conductive channel. An insulator is positioned between the semiconductor channel element and a solution to be sensed. A reference contacts the solution and sets an electric potential of the solution. A bias voltage source generates an external sensor bias voltage for electrically biasing the reference electrode. A sensing surface interacts with the solution comprising analytes for generating a surface potential change at the sensing surface dependent on the concentration of analytes. The sensor further includes a ferroelectric capacitance element between the insulator and the bias voltage source for generating a negative capacitance for a differential gain between the external sensor bias voltage and an internal sensor bias voltage sensed at a surface of the channel element facing the insulator or ferroelectric capacitance element.