Nanowerk  October 24, 2023
Researchers at Tufts University have developed a hybrid biopolymer–semiconductor device by integrating nanoscale silk layers in a well-established class of inorganic field-effect transistors (silk-FETs). The devices offered two distinct modes of operation—either traditional field-effect or electrolyte-gated—enabled by the precisely controlled thickness, morphology, and biochemistry of the integrated silk layers. The different operational modes were selectively accessed by dynamically modulating the free-water content within the nanoscale protein layer from the vapor phase. They illustrated the utility of the hybrid devices in a highly sensitive and ultrafast breath sensor, highlighting the opportunities offered by the integration of nanoscale biomaterial interfaces in conjunction with traditional semiconductor devices, enabling functional outcomes at the intersection between the worlds of microelectronics and biology… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ