Carbon nanotube based ion sensitive field effect transistor

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been the subject of much research in the past two decades. Due to their extraordinary mechanical and electrical properties, CNTs are ideal candidates for various sensors and electronic device applications. The purpose of this research is to overcome the difficulties in separating and aligning CNTs so that they can be implemented in an ion sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET). A solution to the alignment process has been presented that involves cutting nano channels on a microelectrode chip with an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) in order to nanomanipulate the CNTs into the nano channels. Upon successfully cutting the channels, the process of dielectrophoresis (DEP) will be used to align the CNTs into the nano channels. Preliminary work shows that the nano channels are a valid solution for bridging the gap between the electrodes, but they create an entirely new level of complexity. Cutting with an AFM can, at times, be an inconsistent process. Once the inconsistencies are overcome associated with AFM cutting, a carbon nanotube based ISFET device could be manufactured at lower cost and could operate without the need of an amplifier.