Class notes Single electron devices

Single Electron Devices for
Logic Applications
Reza M. Rad
UMBC

Based on pages 425-441 of “Nanoelectronics and
Information Technology”, Rainer Waser

, Introduction
¾ Scaling down MOSFETs has been
fundamental in improving the performance
of ULSI circuits

¾ Scaling of MOSFETs is entering the deep
sub 50 nm regime

¾ Quantum mechanical effects are expected
to be effective in these small structure
devices

, Introduction
¾ A new device having operation principles
effective in smaller dimensions which
utilizes quantum-mechanical effects

¾ Single electron devices retain their
scalability even on an atomic scale

¾ Single electron devices will reduce the
power consumption because the number
of electrons transferred from voltage
source to ground is limited

, Single-electron box
¾ A quantum dot connected with two
electrodes
¾ One electrode connected to dot through a
tunneling junction
¾ The other electrode, gate, coupled with
quantum dot via insulator, electron cannot
pass through tunneling