Sketched oxide single-electron transistor
- 17 April 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Nature Nanotechnology
- Vol. 6 (6), 343-347
- https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2011.56
Abstract
Devices that confine and process single electrons represent an important scaling limit of electronics1,2. Such devices have been realized in a variety of materials and exhibit remarkable electronic, optical and spintronic properties3,4,5. Here, we use an atomic force microscope tip to reversibly ‘sketch’ single-electron transistors by controlling a metal–insulator transition at the interface of two oxides6,7,8. In these devices, single electrons tunnel resonantly between source and drain electrodes through a conducting oxide island with a diameter of ∼ 1.5 nm. We demonstrate control over the number of electrons on the island using bottom- and side-gate electrodes, and observe hysteresis in electron occupation that is attributed to ferroelectricity within the oxide heterostructure. These single-electron devices may find use as ultradense non-volatile memories, nanoscale hybrid piezoelectric and charge sensors, as well as building blocks in quantum information processing and simulation platforms.Keywords
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