Ultrasensitive Detection of Hg2+ Ions with CVD Grown MoS2 Functionalized MgZnO/CdZnO HEMT

Abstract

Mercury (Hg) is generally renowned as one of the most dangerous heavy metals, even at trace levels. Its presence can lead to both chronic and acute poisoning, causing severe health issues such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and movement disorders, potentially resulting in death. Current mercury detection systems have several limitations, including slow response times, high costs, and poor portability. In this study, an oxide-based high electron mobility transistor sensor has been fabricated by optical lithography and a dual ion beam sputtering (DIBS) system, and it is investigated as a potential sensor for detecting trace amounts of Hg2+ ions in water. MoS2 was synthesized via a chemical vapor deposition system and transferred to the gate of the MgZnO/CdZnO HEMT using an energy-assisted wet transfer method, functionalizing the gate region for Hg2+ ion detection. The fabricated sensor demonstrated excellent selectivity for Hg2+ ions, an outstanding detection limit of 6.5 ppt, a fast response time of lower than 4 s, and excellent sensitivity of 9.55 μA/ppb. © 2024 IEEE.