Silicon nanowire FET arrays for real time detection of chemical activation of cells

Silicon nanowire FET arrays have been designed and fabricated with a relatively low-cost, but wafer-scale process without the use of e-beam lithography. An optimized fabrication process that improves the etching uniformity of NWs and also provides a better control of the NW dimensions is presented. The fabricated devices are electrically characterized and their performance is discussed. A dedicated measurement set-up and a preparation procedure to employ these SiNW FET arrays for real time monitoring of the substance P activation of neurokinin (NK1) receptors in HEK 293 cells are presented.