Enhancing Sensitivity of Thermal Biosensors through Vanadium Dioxide (VO2) Thin Films

There is a growing interest in thin-film thermistors due to their compatibility with standard microfabrication processes in microelectronics. This greatly simplifies the integration of on-chip biosensors during the fabrication stage. Vanadium dioxide VO
2
exhibits notable sensitivity and a significant temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), rendering it an interesting material for thermal sensors with a wide range of potential applications. This paper explores the utilization of vanadium dioxide (VO
2
) thin films to enhance the sensitivity of thermal biosensors. The thermo-resistive properties of VO
2
thin films are investigated, focusing on improving the performance and sensitivity of micro-thermistor for microcalorimetric biosensors. The VO
2
layers are fabricated using laser ablation on Au substrates. The VO
2
/Au thin films exhibit a highly sensitive response with an interesting temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) value of 19%/°C, significantly surpassing existing VOx-based thermal biosensors. The improved sensitivity enables the detection of low concentrations of biological substances, making VO
2
/Au thin films promising candidates for micro-thermistor in thermal biosensors applications, facilitating early disease diagnosis with tuned characteristics through electrical biasing.