This paper describes a deoxyribonucleic-acid-sensitive electrolyte solution-gate field-effect transistor (SGFET) sensor utilizing a partial carboxyl-terminated boron-doped polycrystalline diamond surface as a linker to connect a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) probe. A high density of carboxyl termination on the polycrystalline diamond surface that was employed as a FET channel was achieved using a vacuum ultraviolet system with oxygen gas. A single-stranded DNA probe was immobilized on the polycrystalline diamond channel via amino coupling. The current-voltage characteristics of the polycrystalline diamond SGFET sensor was examined with bias voltages within its potential voltage window. The characteristics of the drain-source current verses the drain-source voltage showed a pinch-off, a shift voltage of up to 40 mV with a coefficient of variation of 4 - 11% was obtained between hybridization and denaturation. In addition, a single nucleotide mutation of DNA sequence was selectively recognized by the shift voltage up to ca. 10 mV.
Keywords: Polycrystalline diamond; boron-doped diamond; carboxyl-termination; deoxyribonucleic acid; electrolyte-solution-gate field-effect transistor.