Modeling and Sensitivity Analysis of GaN HEMT Biosensor.

Abstract

Gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) biosensors have recently emerged as promising platforms for highly sensitive and label-free detection of biomolecules. Their exceptional electrical properties, including high carrier mobility, together with the wide bandgap and strong chemical bonds of GaN materials, provide excellent stability under high temperatures, ionizing radiation, and chemically harsh environments. Despite significant experimental progress, comprehensive analytical models capable of linking biomolecular recognition events to the electrical response of GaN biosensors remain limited. This work presents a physics-based, design-oriented analytical modeling framework for AlGaN/GaN HEMT biosensors. The model incorporates biomolecular binding kinetics, the dielectric properties of the hybrid system, and electrostatic coupling to the transistor channel conductivity. Numerical simulations are performed using COMSOL Multiphysics to validate the analytical model. The developed framework provides physical insight into the mechanisms governing biosensor operation and offers practical guidelines for the optimization and comparative assessment of HEMT/MIS-HEMT biosensor architectures.