IONS FEEL THE FIELD EFFECT
IONS FEEL THE FIELD EFFECT
By chemically modifying a silicon nanotube, researchers have
created a fluid-based transistor that can conduct either positively
or negatively charged ions dissolved in solution. As in ordinary
field-effect transistors, the voltage on a "gate" electrode controls
the rate of ion flow through the water-filled tube. The degree of
chemical modification determines whether the tube conducts positive
or negative ions, or switches from one to the other depending on the
gate voltage, the group reports in the 26 August PRL. The technology
might be useful in highly sensitive biological sensors, and the
result demonstrates the basic components needed to build fluid-based
"computer chips" by this method, according to the team.
(Rong Fan et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. to be published)
COMPLETE Focus story at http://focus.aps.org/story/v16/st6
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