Insect-based BioFETs with improved signal characteristics

Insect-based BioFETs (biologically sensitive field-effect transistors) with improved signal characteristics have been developed. These BioFETs require a specifically adapted signal interfacing between a FET as signal transduc er and an intact insect antenna as biocomponent. Therefore, different field -effect transistors have been fabricated in order to study the signal trans fer at the bioelectronic interface. As relevant features of the BioFET, its current-voltage characteristics, the transconductance and the signal-to-no ise ratio have been investigated as affected by the choice of gate insulato r materials and gate dimensions (width-to-length ratio, thickness of the di electric layers). The performance of the improved FET arrangement in the is olated-antenna BioFET was validated by employing dilution series of the pla nt odour component Z-3-hexen-1-ol. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All right s reserved.