Material-Driven Enhancements in FET Biosensors for Cancer Diagnosis

Field-effect transistor (FET)-based biosensors offer a promising platform for cancer diagnostics due to their exceptional electrical sensitivity, miniaturization potential, and ability to function in complex biological media. This review highlights comprehensive strategies for enhancing FET biosensor performance through advanced lithography, surface functionalization, thin-film deposition, and microfluidic integration. Specific emphasis is placed on the impact of materials—such as graphene, silicon nanomaterials, wide bandgap semiconductors, and high-k dielectrics—and device engineering techniques including Schottky contact optimization and passivation layers. This review compiles 57 biosensors and critically evaluates material and fabrication strategies that enhance device performance. Comparative analysis of a representative sensors shows that graphene and TiS₃-based electrolyte-gated FETs achieved the lowest detection limits (down to 10 zM and 0.04 fg/mL), while microfluidic integration and PNA/antibody functionalization significantly improved sensitivity and specificity in clinical samples. These findings highlight the critical role of 2D materials, nanolithography, and advanced surface chemistry in enabling next-generation FET biosensors for precision oncology. Future challenges include large-scale integration, multiplexed detection, and clinical translation.