Single-Electron Transistors (SET): literature review

Abstract

Single-electron transistor (SET) is a key element in our research field where device operation is based on one-by-one electron through the channel utilizing the Coulomb blockade effect. The SET are often discussed as elements of nanometer scale because SET can be made very small and can detect the motion of individual electrons. However, SET has low voltage gain, high input impedances, and sensitive to random background charges. This makes it unlikely that SET would ever replace field-effect transistor (FET) in applications where large voltage gain or low output impedance is necessary. In this paper, we provide an overview of research developments of SET. The theoretical study of single electronics include orthodox theory, coulomb blockade, tunneling effects, and Kondo effect are discussed. On the other hand, the methods for modeling and simulation single-electron circuit are reviewed.