Single-electron devices

The greatest potential appHcation for single-electron devices Hes in digital circuits. However, a number of other appHcations exist, including current standards and ultrasensitive electrometers (70,71). SETs are not unique to compound semiconductors, and in fact a great deal of work has been carried out in other material systems, including Al—AlO —A1 tunnel junctions. A review of single-electron phenomena is available (72). 

A large number of possible applications of arrays of nanoparticles on solid surfaces is reviewed in Refs. [23,24]. They include, for example, development of new (elect-ro)catalytical systems for applications as chemical sensors, biosensors or (bio)fuel cells, preparation of optical biosensors exploiting localized plasmonic effect or surface enhanced Raman scattering, development of single electron devices and electroluminescent structures and many other applications. 

Dimensions between the atomic/molecular and the bulk macroscopic scales are sometimes called mesoscopic. Because the mesoscopic scale corresponds roughly to the electron free path, unusual phenomena such as quantum effects can be observed, some of which could be used in the development of single-electron devices or quantum computers. Top-down-type nanofabrication techniques are now capable of producing structures in this size range, and research on this subject has received significant attention, especially in the held of semiconductor science and technology. 

Figure 8.1 Example configurations of sensing systems (a) sensor, electronics, power source and display as a single unit, (b) sensor, minimal processing, transmitter and power source on the wearer and further processing and display conducted externally and (c) multiple sensors wired to a single electronic device.

Lee C, Choi DS, Park HR, Kim CS, Wang KL (2001) Side contact single electron devices for integrated circuit. J Korean Phys Soc 39 S442-S446... 

A. N. Korotkov, Coulomb blockade and digital single electron devices in Molecular Electronics (Eds. J. Jortner, M. Ratner), Black-well Science, Oxford, 1997, pp. 157-189. 

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