Memristive-biosensors: A new detection method by using nanofabricated memristors

This paper proposes a new detection methodology based on memristive-effect registered on silicon nanowire. The nano-wires are fabricated by a lithographic technique that allows precise and selective etching at the nanoscale. The wires are obtained in three main steps. Initially, a photoresist line defines the wire position. In a second step, silicon deep reactive ion etching is performed to obtain a scalloped trench. In the final step, the trench is reduced to a suspended nanowire after wet oxidation. The obtained wires present Schottky barrier contacts and are used for bio-molecular detection on dried samples. The memristive silicon nanowire devices are functionalized with rabbit antibodies in order to sense antigens. The sensitivity and detection limit of this new kind of nano-bio-sensors are estimated equal to 37 +/- 1 mV/fM and 3.4 +/- 1.8 fM, respectively. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.