a system and method employing at least one semiconductor device having at least one detecting region which can include , for example , a recess or opening therein , for detecting a charge representative of a component of a polymer , such as a nucleic acid strand , proximate to the detecting region , and a method for manufacturing such a semiconductor device . the system and method can thus be used for sequencing individual nucleotides or bases of ribonucleic acid or deoxyribonucleic acid . the semiconductor device includes at least two doped regions , such as two n - type regions implanted in a p - type semiconductor layer or two p - type regions implanted in an n - type semiconductor layer . the detecting region permits a current to pass between the two doped regions in response to the presence of the component of the polymer , such as a base of a dna or rna strand . the current has characteristics representative of the component of the polymer , such as characteristics representative of the detected base of the dna or rna strand .