Heterojunction vertical tunnel FET sensor for prostate cancer biomarker detection

Abstract This research work presents the sensitivity analysis of vertical dual-gate tunnel FET as a label-free biosensor. The double-gate architecture has been used for enhanced electrostatic gate control. Since the band-to-band tunneling junction of the device is highly sensitive in TFET therefore the nanocavity has been created close to source-to-channel region to observe minute fluctuations in the electrical performance. The serum’s equivalent negative charges have been used to detect the cancerous biomarker i.e., protein specific antigen (PSA) in case of prostate cancer detection in males. The models used in the analysis are well calibrated with the experimental data on vertical dual-gate TFET device. The sensing and sensitivity capabilities of PSA biomarkers are comprehensively determined by considering several figures-of-merits such as electron concentration, band energy fluctuations, electric field variations, parasitic capacitances, gate capacitances, and its impact on transfer characteristics of the device. Moreover, the sensitivity and delay with which the biomarkers are getting detected are also examined in this work.