Vertical electrochemical transistor shows biomedical sensing potential

The electrochemical transistor is said to be compatible with blood and water and can amplify important signals, making it useful for biomedical sensing. In use, the transistor could enable wearable devices for onsite signal processing at the biology-device interface. Potential applications include measuring heartbeat and levels of sodium and potassium in blood as well as eye motion for studying sleep disorders.

The study detailing the electrochemical transistor and an accompanying News & Views article have been published in Nature.

“All modern electronics use transistors, which rapidly turn current on and off,” said Tobin J. Marks, a co-corresponding author of the study. “Here we use chemistry to enhance the switching. Our electrochemical transistor takes performance to a totally new level. You have all the properties of a conventional transistor but far higher transconductance, ultra-stable cycling of the switching properties, a small footprint that can enable high density integration, and easy, low-cost fabrication.”

Marks led the research team along with Antonio Facchetti, research professor of chemistry at Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences; Wei Huang, now a professor at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; and Jonathan Rivnay, professor of biomedical engineering at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering.