Table 1.

Brief comparison of semiconductor and polymer NWs-based FET biosensors.

Biosensor device	Merits	Demerits
Semiconductor NWs-based FET	Fabricated relatively cheaply in parallel with traditional microfabrication techniques.	Needs well-defined NW structures with controlled atomic compositions and heterojunctions to fabricate highly reproducible devices.
	Being a sensitive, semiconductor transducers offer electrical transduction in terms of realization of simple, portable and inexpensive devices.	Small size of device poses challenges when integrated in microfluidic systems.
	Utilization of biocompatible NWs with potential to easily attach various receptor molecules.	Difficult to avoid nonspecific interactions during application in whole blood/serum
Polymer NWs-based FET	Simple fabrication techniques and tunable properties (electrical, mechanical and optical).	Lack of incompatibility with traditional microfabrication techniques.
	Facile functionalization routes and biocompatibility of polymer NWs make them attractive alternative over other nanomaterials based FETs.	It demands precise control over possible thermal damages and unstable contact of polymer NWs with metal electrodes in device architecture.
	An array of polymer NWs with multi-functionality based FETs have potential for the detection of multiple analytes.	Mechanical/thermal stability and durability of polymers limit the utility of polymer NWs-based FET biosensors.