Compact Modeling of pH-Sensitive FETs Based on 2-D Semiconductors

We present a physics-based circuit-compatible model for pH-sensitive field-effect transistors based on 2-D materials. The electrostatics along the electrolyte-gated 2-D-semiconductor stack is treated by solving the Poisson equation, including the site-binding model and the Gouy-Chapman-Stern approach, while the carrier transport is described by the drift-diffusion theory. The proposed model is provided in an analytical form and then implemented in Verilog-A, making it compatible with standard technology computer-aided design tools employed for circuit simulation. The model is benchmarked against two experimental transition-metal-dichalcogenide (MoS2 and ReS2)-based ion sensors, showing excellent agreement when predicting the drain current, threshold voltage shift, and current/voltage sensitivity measurements for different pH concentrations.