15 research outputs found
Single-electron transistor effect in a two-terminal structure
A peculiarity of the single-electron transistor effect makes it possible to
observe this effect even in structures lacking a gate electrode altogether. The
proposed method can be useful for experimental study of charging effects in
structures with an extremely small central island confined between tunnel
barriers like a nanometer-sized quantum dot or a macromolecule probed with a
tunneling microscope), where it is impossible to provide a gate electrode for
control of the tunnel current.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
Steps on current-voltage characteristics of a silicon quantum dot covered by natural oxide
Considering a double-barrier structure formed by a silicon quantum dot
covered by natural oxide with two metallic terminals, we derive simple
conditions for a step-like voltage-current curve. Due to standard chemical
properties, doping phosphorus atoms located in a certain domain of the dot form
geometrically parallel current channels. The height of the current step
typically equals to (1.2 pA)N, where N=0,1,2,3... is the number of doping atoms
inside the domain, and only negligibly depends on the actual position of the
dopants. The found conditions are feasible in experimentally available
structures.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure