On the impedance spectroscopy of field‐effect biosensors

Abstract Impedance spectroscopy is an electrochemical technique widely used for the electrical characterization of the behavior of biomaterials in all kinds of biosensors. Field‐effect devices, and in particular ion‐sensitive field‐effect transistors (ISFETs), have been extensively studied as transd...

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Main Authors: Joan Bausells, Hamdi Ben Halima, Francesca G. Bellagambi, Albert Alcacer, Norman Pfeiffer, Marie Hangouët, Nadia Zine, Abdelhamid Errachid
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley-VCH 2022-10-01
Series:Electrochemical Science Advances
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/elsa.202100138
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author Joan Bausells
Hamdi Ben Halima
Francesca G. Bellagambi
Albert Alcacer
Norman Pfeiffer
Marie Hangouët
Nadia Zine
Abdelhamid Errachid
author_facet Joan Bausells
Hamdi Ben Halima
Francesca G. Bellagambi
Albert Alcacer
Norman Pfeiffer
Marie Hangouët
Nadia Zine
Abdelhamid Errachid
author_sort Joan Bausells
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Impedance spectroscopy is an electrochemical technique widely used for the electrical characterization of the behavior of biomaterials in all kinds of biosensors. Field‐effect devices, and in particular ion‐sensitive field‐effect transistors (ISFETs), have been extensively studied as transducers for biosensing. They however have not been much analyzed with impedance spectroscopy, because they typically generate non‐Faradaic capacitance measurements, since there is no charge transfer through the insulating gate in contact with the liquid solution. We have recently experimentally shown that Faradaic‐like impedance spectroscopy spectra can be obtained with ISFET devices, allowing high‐sensitivity measurements for different pH and biomarker concentrations. In this paper, we report that both Faradaic‐like and non‐Faradaic impedance behavior can be well understood by a DC and small‐signal AC model of the ISFET working in different conditions. Faradaic‐like impedance measurements are described by the operation of the ISFET in subthreshold conditions. A Nyquist plot semicircle is obtained, corresponding to the transimpedance 1/gm of the ISFET in parallel to the gate capacitances. We show that this behavior is independent of the presence of membrane material on the gate surface. In these conditions, the change in the semicircle diameter for different pH or biomarker concentrations can be understood by the change of 1/gm corresponding to a threshold voltage shift of the transistor. This description is illustrated with our recent results for pH measurements and the detection of tumor necrosis factor‐α with functionalized devices in standard solutions in the concentration range of 1–20 pg/ml. The use of the impedance spectroscopy technique takes advantage of the exponential behavior of the gm(VGS) curves in the subthreshold (weak inversion) operation of the ISFET. This results in a large signal amplification, where a small change in the threshold voltage results in a large change in the impedance spectrum, thus achieving an increased precision in the measurement of the device response to changes in the analyte concentration.
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spelling doaj.art-5e8cb8c2aed34142b5e92fd713d6b1692023-08-17T12:00:55ZengWiley-VCHElectrochemical Science Advances2698-59772022-10-0125n/an/a10.1002/elsa.202100138On the impedance spectroscopy of field‐effect biosensorsJoan Bausells0Hamdi Ben Halima1Francesca G. Bellagambi2Albert Alcacer3Norman Pfeiffer4Marie Hangouët5Nadia Zine6Abdelhamid Errachid7CSIC Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB‐CNM) Campus UAB Bellaterra SpainUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Institute of Analytical Sciences (ISA)‐UMR 5280 Villeurbanne FranceUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Institute of Analytical Sciences (ISA)‐UMR 5280 Villeurbanne FranceCSIC Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB‐CNM) Campus UAB Bellaterra SpainFraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS Erlangen GermanyUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Institute of Analytical Sciences (ISA)‐UMR 5280 Villeurbanne FranceUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Institute of Analytical Sciences (ISA)‐UMR 5280 Villeurbanne FranceUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Institute of Analytical Sciences (ISA)‐UMR 5280 Villeurbanne FranceAbstract Impedance spectroscopy is an electrochemical technique widely used for the electrical characterization of the behavior of biomaterials in all kinds of biosensors. Field‐effect devices, and in particular ion‐sensitive field‐effect transistors (ISFETs), have been extensively studied as transducers for biosensing. They however have not been much analyzed with impedance spectroscopy, because they typically generate non‐Faradaic capacitance measurements, since there is no charge transfer through the insulating gate in contact with the liquid solution. We have recently experimentally shown that Faradaic‐like impedance spectroscopy spectra can be obtained with ISFET devices, allowing high‐sensitivity measurements for different pH and biomarker concentrations. In this paper, we report that both Faradaic‐like and non‐Faradaic impedance behavior can be well understood by a DC and small‐signal AC model of the ISFET working in different conditions. Faradaic‐like impedance measurements are described by the operation of the ISFET in subthreshold conditions. A Nyquist plot semicircle is obtained, corresponding to the transimpedance 1/gm of the ISFET in parallel to the gate capacitances. We show that this behavior is independent of the presence of membrane material on the gate surface. In these conditions, the change in the semicircle diameter for different pH or biomarker concentrations can be understood by the change of 1/gm corresponding to a threshold voltage shift of the transistor. This description is illustrated with our recent results for pH measurements and the detection of tumor necrosis factor‐α with functionalized devices in standard solutions in the concentration range of 1–20 pg/ml. The use of the impedance spectroscopy technique takes advantage of the exponential behavior of the gm(VGS) curves in the subthreshold (weak inversion) operation of the ISFET. This results in a large signal amplification, where a small change in the threshold voltage results in a large change in the impedance spectrum, thus achieving an increased precision in the measurement of the device response to changes in the analyte concentration.https://doi.org/10.1002/elsa.202100138biomarkerbiosensorfield‐effectimpedance spectroscopyISFET
spellingShingle Joan Bausells
Hamdi Ben Halima
Francesca G. Bellagambi
Albert Alcacer
Norman Pfeiffer
Marie Hangouët
Nadia Zine
Abdelhamid Errachid
On the impedance spectroscopy of field‐effect biosensors
Electrochemical Science Advances
biomarker
biosensor
field‐effect
impedance spectroscopy
ISFET
title On the impedance spectroscopy of field‐effect biosensors
title_full On the impedance spectroscopy of field‐effect biosensors
title_fullStr On the impedance spectroscopy of field‐effect biosensors
title_full_unstemmed On the impedance spectroscopy of field‐effect biosensors
title_short On the impedance spectroscopy of field‐effect biosensors
title_sort on the impedance spectroscopy of field effect biosensors
topic biomarker
biosensor
field‐effect
impedance spectroscopy
ISFET
url https://doi.org/10.1002/elsa.202100138
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