A Comprehensive Study of Material-Optimized TFET Biosensors for Low-Power and Reliable Sensing Applications

Abstract

For next-generation biomedical sensing applications, tunnel field-effect transistor (TFET)-based biosensors have drawn a lot of interest because of their steep subthreshold swing, low power consumption, steep subthreshold swing, and superior sensitivity compared with conventional MOSFET-based biosensors. This work presents a comprehensive study of material-optimized TFET biosensors aimed at achieving enhanced sensing performance, improved thermal stability, and reliable device operation for label-free biomolecule detection. The proposed biosensor employs dielectric modulation in the cavity region along with advanced material engineering techniques to strengthen electrostatic control and carrier tunnelling efficiency. Different biomolecules with varying dielectric constants are introduced into the sensing cavity to analyze their impact on important electrical characteristics such as drain current, threshold voltage, transconductance, and sensitivity factor. Furthermore, the influence of high-k gate dielectric materials, heterojunction engineering, and channel optimization on device performance is systematically investigated. Thermal stability analysis is performed over a wide temperature range to evaluate the robustness of the proposed structure under practical operating conditions. In addition, structural reliability is assessed by examining variations in cavity dimensions, oxide thickness, and channel parameters to ensure consistent sensing behavior.The simulation results demonstrate that the optimized TFET biosensor achieves enhanced sensitivity, improved ON-state current, reduced ambipolar conduction, and stable electrical characteristics with minimal temperature-induced degradation. The proposed architecture offers a promising platform for low-power, highly sensitive, and reliable biosensing applications in future biomedical and healthcare systems.