Sensors (Mar 2012)

Electrical Characterization of Gold-DNA-Gold Structures in Presence of an External Magnetic Field by Means of I-V Curve Analysis

  • Wan Haliza Abd Majid,
  • Richard Ritikos,
  • Nadia Mahmoudi Khatir,
  • Vengadesh Periasamy,
  • Seyedeh Maryam Banihashemian,
  • Saadah Abdul Rahman

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/s120303578
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 3
pp. 3578 – 3586

Abstract

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This work presents an experimental study of gold-DNA-gold structures in the presence and absence of external magnetic fields with strengths less than 1,200.00 mT. The DNA strands, extracted by standard method were used to fabricate a Metal-DNA-Metal (MDM) structure. Its electric behavior when subjected to a magnetic field was studied through its current-voltage (I-V) curve. Acquisition of the I-V curve demonstrated that DNA as a semiconductor exhibits diode behavior in the MDM structure. The current versus magnetic field strength followed a decreasing trend because of a diminished mobility in the presence of a low magnetic field. This made clear that an externally imposed magnetic field would boost resistance of the MDM structure up to 1,000.00 mT and for higher magnetic field strengths we can observe an increase in potential barrier in MDM junction. The magnetic sensitivity indicates the promise of using MDM structures as potential magnetic sensors.

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