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9th Edition of

International Conference on Materials Science and Engineering

March 05-07, 2026 | Singapore

Materials 2025

Harnessing the unique transport properties of InAs nanowires for single molecule level sensing

Speaker at International Conference on Materials Science and Engineering 2025 - Harry Ruda
University of Toronto, Canada
Title : Harnessing the unique transport properties of InAs nanowires for single molecule level sensing

Abstract:

In 1964 Wagner and Ellis presented the first paper on fabrication of micron-scale semiconductor whiskers. Our group was one of the first to apply their ideas in the late 1990’s to realise nanowires with diameters of tens of nanometers. We show how strong dielectric confinement, coupled with weak screening in structures of these dimensions presents a unique opportunity for realizing field effect transistor chemical sensors. In particular, we focus on InAs nanowires having exceptional transport properties combined with a nature surface accumulation layer which we show can mediate sensing. Indeed, we showed how electrometry can be performed with such devices to sense charge to levels as low as tens of micro-electron charges per root hertz bandwidth. With such a response, the transduction of adsorption events into electrical signals is shown to permit single molecule level sensing.

Biography:

Harry Ruda obtained his PhD from MIT in 1982 for work on optoelectronic properties of II-VI based infrared materials. Following this, as IBM postdoctoral fellow, he developed one of the first theories for electron transport in two-dimensional electron gases. After he led the 3M Corporation II-VI blue laser program, joining University of Toronto in 1989 where he currently holds Stanley Meek Chair in Nanotechnology and is Director of Centre for Nanotechnology. He has about 300 journal publications (8,200 citations and h-index of 44). He is a Fellow of Royal Society of Canada, Institute of Physics, Institute of Nanotechnology, and Canadian Academy of Engineering.

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