3C-SiC on Si: A Biocompatible Material for Advanced Bioelectronic Devices

Silicon carbide (SiC) has long been known as a robust semiconductor with superior properties to silicon for electronic applications. Consequently a tremendous amount of international activity has been on-going for over four decades to develop high-power solid state SiC electronics. While this activity has focused on the hexagonal polytypes of SiC, the only form that can be grown directly on Si substrates, 3C-SiC (or cubic SiC) has been researched for non-electronic applications such as MEMS and biosensors. In particular in our group we have pioneered several biomedical devices using 3C-SiC grown on Si substrates, and recently has been investigating the use of this novel material for clean energy applications. This invited paper will review nearly a decade of activity in this regard, with particular emphasis on the most promising applications: in-vivo glucose monitoring, biomedical implants for connecting the human nervous system to advanced prosthetics, and MEMS/NEMS research aimed at allowing for in-vivo diagnostic and therapeutic systems for advanced biomedical applications.