3C-SiC on Si: A bio- and hemo-compatible material for advanced nano-bio devices

Silicon carbide (SiC) has long been known as a robust semiconductor with superior properties to silicon for electronic applications. The cubic form of SiC, known as 3C-SiC, has been researched for non-electronic applications, such as MEMS and biosensors. In particular, our group has demonstrated that 3C-SiC is one of the few semiconductor materials that possesses both bio- and hemacompatibility, thus opening up a plethora of applications for this material. We have pioneered several biomedical devices using 3C-SiC grown on Si substrates, and recently have been investigating the use of this novel material for both biosensor and neural prosthetic applications. Research to develop suitable biosensors, mainly via surface functionalization of 3C-SiC surfaces, has shown that 3C-SiC can be functionalized in much the same was as Si. We review nearly a decade of activity in 3C-SiC on Si biotechnology, with particular emphasis on the most promising applications: surface functionalization, in-vivo glucose sensing and biomedical implants for connecting the human nervous system to advanced prosthetics.