1/f Noise of Silicon Nanowire BioFETs

The 1/f noise of silicon nanowire (NW) biological field-effect transistors (NW FETs with exposed channels) is characterized and compared with various fabrication approaches, specifically, a wet orientation-dependent etch (ODE) versus common plasma-based etching methods. The wet-etched devices are shown to have significantly lower noise and subthreshold swing, and the average extracted Hooge parameter for ODE wet-etched devices (alpha(H) = 2.1 x 10(-3)) is comparable to the values reported for submicrometer MOSFETs with a metal/HfO2 gate stack.