• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.73-95
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• 2013

Nine deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences were used to functionalize single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) sensors to detect the trace amount of methanol, acetone, and HCl in vapor. DNA 24 Ma (24 randomly arranged nitrogenous bases with one amine at each end of it) decorated SWNT sensor and DNA 24 A (only adenine (A) base with a length of 24) decorated SWNT sensor have demonstrated the largest sensing responses towards acetone and HCl, respectively. On the other hand, for the DNA GT decorated SWNT sensors with different sequence lengths, the optimum DNA sequence length for acetone and HCl sensing is 32 and 8, separately. The detection of methanol, acetone, and HCl have identified that DNA functionalized SWNT sensors exhibit great selectivity, sensitivity, and repeatability with an accuracy of more than 90%. Further, a sensor array composed of SWNT functionalized with various DNA sequences was utilized to identify acetone and HCl through pattern recognition. The sensor array is a combination of four different DNA functionalized SWNT sensors and two bare SWNT sensors (work as reference). This wireless sensing system has enabled real-time gas monitoring and air quality assurance for safety and security.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2014

We show that carbon nanotube sensors with gold particles on the single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) network operate as Schottky barrier transistors, in which transistor action occurs primarily by varying the resistance of Au-SWNT junction rather than the channel conductance modulation. Transistor characteristics are calculated for the statistically simplified geometries, and the sensing mechanisms are analyzed by comparing the simulation results of the MOSFET model and Schottky junction model with the experimental data. We demonstrated that the semiconductor MOSFET effect cannot explain the experimental phenomena such as the very low limit of detection (LOD) and the logarithmic dependence of sensitivity to the DNA concentration. By building an asymmetric concentric-electrode model which consists of serially-connected segments of CNTFETs and Schottky diodes, we found that for a proper explanation of the experimental data, the work function shifts should be ~ 0.1 eV for 100 pM DNA concentration and ~ 0.4 eV for $100{\mu}M$.