1st Edition

Introduction to Nanoelectronic Single-Electron Circuit Design

By Jaap Hoekstra Copyright 2009
    301 Pages 13 Color & 141 B/W Illustrations
    by Jenny Stanford Publishing

    This book examines single-electron circuits as an introduction to the rapidly expanding field of nanoelectronics. It discusses 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. The author employs an unconventional approach in explaining the operation and design of single-electron circuits.

    Tunneling Experiments in Nanoelectronics

    Current in Electrodynamics and Circuit Theory

    Free Electrons in Quantum Mechanics

    Current and Tunnel Current in Quantum Physics

    Energy in Circuit Theory

    Energy in the Switched Two-Capacitor Circuit

    Impulse Circuit Model for Single-Electron Tunneling — Zero Tunneling Time

    Impulse Circuit Model for Single-Electron Tunneling — Nonzero Tunneling Times

    Generalizing the Theory to Multi-Junction Circuits

    Single-Electron Tunneling Circuit Examples

    Circuit Design Methodologies

    More Potential Applications and Challenges

    Biography

    Jaap Hoekstra was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 1955. He received an MSc in experimental physics from the University of Amsterdam and a PhD degree for research on (junction) charge-coupled devices, involving device physics, device development and subsystem concepts, from the Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands. From 1988 to 1995 he was at the Computer Architecture Laboratory at the TU-Delft working in the field of artificial neural networks. From 1996 to 1997 he worked on chaotic dynamics in power systems at the laboratory of Electrical Power Systems. In April 1997 he joined the Electronic Research Laboratory, where he is currently involved in research projects on artificial neural nets, biologic-inspired networks, neuromorphic circuits, nanoscale electronic devices, and single-electron tunneling devices.

    "The spectacular evolution of microelectronics has demonstrated the power of the ‘circuit paradigm’. During the last decade, a broad class of nanoelectronic discrete devices has been proposed and successfully demonstrated; however, there still exists a gap between device physics and nanoelectronic integrated circuit design. This book offers an insight into an original and outstanding effort to bridge the gap between device physics and engineering of nanoelectronic integrated architectures. Original equivalent circuit models of metallic single-electron tunneling (SET) junctions and efficient analysis and synthesis techniques of nanoelectronic circuits are presented. This book in recommended to researchers and students interested in nanoscience and nanotechnology, especially in nanoelectronics."
    —Arpad I. Csurgay, University, Hungary and University of Notre Dame, USA

    "Single electron devices are promising candidates for next-generation circuits. By clarifying the relationship between models of different levels, this book offers useful knowledge on modeling which makes single electron devices treated the same as conventional transistors during circuit design. The new perspectives involved also help to conceive novel nano-devices. It is a very good reference for researchers who are engaged in this exciting area."
    —Ning Deng, Tsinghua University, China