Nanotransistor-based gas sensing with record-high sensitivity enabled by electron trapping effect in nanoparticles

• Published in: Nature communications 2024-06, Vol.15 (1), p.5259-8, Article 5259
• Main Authors: Hu, Qitao, Solomon, Paul, Österlund, Lars, Zhang, Zhen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 142/126; 147/135; 147/143; 639/166/987; 639/925/927/1007; 639/925/927/356; Balancing; electrion trapping effect; Electron transfer; Electrons; Engineering Science with specialization in Electronics; Field effect transistors; Gas sensing; Gas sensors; Gases; Humanities and Social Sciences; Industrial development; multidisciplinary; Nanoparticles; nanotransistor; PdNPs; Power consumption; Room temperature; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Semiconductor devices; Sensitivity; Sensors; Signal transduction; Teknisk fysik med inriktning mot elektronik; Trapping
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49658-3

Highly sensitive, low-power, and chip-scale H 2 gas sensors are of great interest to both academia and industry. Field-effect transistors (FETs) functionalized with Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs) have recently emerged as promising candidates for such H 2 sensors. However, their sensitivity is limited by weak capacitive coupling between PdNPs and the FET channel. Herein we report a nanoscale FET gas sensor, where electrons can tunnel between the channel and PdNPs and thus equilibrate them. Gas reaction with PdNPs perturbs the equilibrium, and therefore triggers electron transfer between the channel and PdNPs via trapping or de-trapping with the PdNPs to form a new balance. This direct communication between the gas reaction and the channel enables the most efficient signal transduction. Record-high responses to 1–1000 ppm H 2 at room temperature with detection limit in the low ppb regime and ultra-low power consumption of ~ 300 nW are demonstrated. The same mechanism could potentially be used for ultrasensitive detection of other gases. Our results present a supersensitive FET gas sensor based on electron trapping effect in nanoparticles. Highly sensitive, low-power, and chip-scale gas sensors are of great interest to both academia and industry. The authors developed a nanotransistor-based gas sensor with high sensitivity enabled by electron trapping effect in nanoparticles.