Direct attachment of DNA to semiconducting surfaces for biosensor applications

In this work we propose a novel method of immobilizing nucleic acids for field effect or high electron mobility transistor-based biosensors. The naturally occurring 5' terminal phosphate group on nucleic acids was used to coordinate with semiconductor and metal oxide surfaces. We demonstrate that DNA can be directly immobilized onto ZrO₂, AlGaN, GaN, and HfO₂ while retaining its ability to hybridize to target sequences with high specificity. By directly immobilizing the probe molecule to the sensor surface, as opposed to conventional crosslinking strategies, the number of steps in device fabrication is reduced. Furthermore, hybridization to target strands occurs closer to the sensor surface, which has the potential to increase device sensitivity by reducing the impact of the Debye screening length.