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Introduction to nanoelectronic single-electron circuit design
1 online resource (xv, 301 pages) : illustrations
In Introduction to Nanoelectronic Single-electron Circuit Design, single-electron circuits are studied as an introduction to the rapidly expanding field of nanoelectronics. Treated are both the analysis and synthesis of circuits with the nanoelectronic metallic single-electron tunneling (SET) junction device. The basic physical phenomena under consideration are the quantum mechanical tunneling of electrons through a small insulating gap between two metal leads, the Coulomb blockade, and Coulomb oscillations - the last two resulting from the quantization of charge. While electron transport in nanoelectronic devices can best be described by quantum physics; nanoelectronic circuits can best be described by Kirchhoff's voltage and current laws. The author employs an unconventional approach in explaining the operation and design of single-electron circuits. All models and equivalent circuits are derived from first principles of circuit theory. This is a must if we want to understand the characteristics of the nanoelectronic devices and subcircuits. Besides this, a circuit theoretical approach is necessary for considering possible integration in current and future IC technology. Based on energy conservation, in circuit theory connected to Tellegen's theorem, the circuit model for single-electron tunneling is an impulsive current source. Modeling distinguishes between bounded and unbounded currents. The Coulomb blockade is explained as a property of a tunnel junction, not of an island.
1. Introduction. 1.1. Scope. 1.2. Electron tunneling. 1.3. Tunneling capacitors and island charges. 1.4. Energy in simple capacitor circuits, bounded and unbounded currents. 1.5. Operational temperature. 1.6. Research questions -- 2. Tunneling experiments in nanoelectronics. 2.1. Tunneling in the tunnel diode. 2.2. Tunneling capacitor -- 3. Current in electrodynamics and circuit theory. 3.1. Charges in electrodynamics. 3.2. Conservation of charge and continuity equation. 3.3. Electromagnetics' field equations in vacuum. 3.4. Equations in the presence of charges and currents. 3.5. Conservation of energy and Poynting's theorem. 3.6. Steady-state and constant currents. 3.7. Time-dependent current flow. 3.8. Towards circuit theory -- 4. Free electrons in quantum mechanics. 4.1. Particles, fields, wave packets, and uncertainty relations. 4.2. Schrödinger's equation. 4.3. Free electrons. 4.4. Free electrons meeting a boundary. 4.5. Electrons in potential wells -- 5. Current and tunnel current in quantum physics. 5.1. Electrical conductivity in metals. 5.2. Current in quantum physics. 5.3. Tunneling and tunnel current. 5.4. Shrinking dimensions and quantized conductance -- 6. Energy in circuit theory. 6.1. Lumped circuits. 6.2. Circuit theorems -- 7. Energy in the switched two-capacitor circuit. 7.1. Problem statement. 7.2. Continuity property in linear networks. 7.3. Unbounded currents. 7.4. Zero initial capacitor voltage (zero state). 7.5. Initial charge models. 7.6. Solution A : bounded currents. 7.7. Solution B : unbounded currents. 7.8. Unbounded or bounded currents through circuits -- 8. Impulse circuit model for single-electron tunneling -- zero tunneling time. 8.1. SET junction excited by an ideal current source -- zero tunneling time. 8.2. SET junction excited by an ideal voltage source. 8.3. Basic assumptions. 8.4. Conditions for tunneling. 8.5. Tunnel condition : mathematical formulation -- 9. Impulse circuit model for single-electron tunneling -- nonzero tunneling times. 9.1. SET junction excited by an ideal current source -- nonzero tunneling time. 9.2. SET junction excited by a nonideal current or voltage source. 9.3. Tunneling of many electrons, stochastic tunneling, and resistive behavior -- 10. Generalizing the theory to multi-junction circuits. 10.1. How much energy is needed to tunnel onto a metallic island? 10.2. Electron box excited by an ideal current source, zero tunneling time. 10.3. Electron box excited by an ideal voltage source. 10.4. Electron box excited by a current source, nonzero tunneling time. 10.5. Initial island charges and random background charges -- 11. Single-electron tunneling circuit examples. 11.1. Electron-box. 11.2. Double junction structure. 11.3. SET transistor. 11.4. Three junction structure. 11.5. SET inverter -- 12. Circuit design methodologies. 12.1. Introduction and challenges. 12.2. Nanoelectronic design issues. 12.3. SET circuit design issues. 12.4. Circuit simulator. 12.5. Random background charges. 12.6. An outlook to system design : fuzzy logic and neural networks -- 13. More potential applications and challenges. 13.1. Logic circuits. 13.2. Analog functionality.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 289-292) and index.