A simple and controlled single electron transistor based on doping modulation in silicon nanowires

TL;DR

This paper presents a simple, reproducible silicon nanowire-based single electron transistor with controlled doping modulation, enabling precise Coulomb oscillation control and potential for complex device integration.

Contribution

It introduces a novel doping modulation technique in silicon nanowires to create fixed tunnel barriers for a reproducible single electron transistor.

Findings

Reproducible SET fabricated on silicon-on-insulator films

Controlled Coulomb oscillation period via lithography

Characterized source and drain capacitances

Abstract

A simple and highly reproducible single electron transistor (SET) has been fabricated using gated silicon nanowires. The structure is a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor made on silicon-on-insulator thin films. The channel of the transistor is the Coulomb island at low temperature. Two silicon nitride spacers deposited on each side of the gate create a modulation of doping along the nanowire that creates tunnel barriers. Such barriers are fixed and controlled, like in metallic SETs. The period of the Coulomb oscillations is set by the gate capacitance of the transistor and therefore controlled by lithography. The source and drain capacitances have also been characterized. This design could be used to build more complex SET devices.