Technological Progress, Research Challenges and Future Directions of Nanosensors: A Survey

Abstract

Nanosensors are electronic sensing devices whose dimensions have nanometer magnitudes. Those sensing dev ices in which the interaction between the sensor and the examined object is confined to a few nanometers or whose sensitivity lies on the nanometer scale arc also referred to as nanosensors. ‘Nanosensors' is an interesting research field on the path from micro-to

nanotechnology whose progress has been specially aided by the advancing steps of microelectronic fabrication techniques and scanning tunneling microscopy. In the present review paper, various types of nanosensors such as displacement, force, acceleration, infrared radiation sensors and nano probing tips are described . Most of these sensors are based on the changes in electron tunneling current. The cantilever structure is used in many sensors. For fabrication of novel sensors, new structures and physical phenomena along with innovative designs will have to be utilized. Is nanotechnology only a milestone on the path of progress of electronic technology? Are the real frontier goals pico (=10^-12 meter) and femta (= 10^-15 meter) technologies? Because atomic dimensions are approximately 0.1 nanometer (where the energy band diagram of crystalline solid materials is not valid) and nuclear dimensions lie between 1 to 5 femtometer (where nuclear forces several fold stronger than electromagnetic forces are

dominant) nanotechnology could probably be the final destination. Therefore nanoelectronic devices and nanosensors are hopeful branches of highly advanced and attractive possibilities on which the future of mechanism depends. In depth research on nanosensors is foremost for the development of nanotechnology.