Uniform charging energy of single-electron transistors by using size-controlled Au nanoparticles

Abstract

Single-electron transistors have the potential to become next-generation nanodevices and sensors owing to their small size, low power consumption, and high charge sensitivity, where the charging energy of the devices is the most important parameter determining the operational temperature. Here, we have demonstrated that the charging energy of single-electron transistors can be controlled (48 ± 4 meV) by adopting electroless gold plating to make separation-defined nanogap electrodes and employing size-controlled chemically synthesized Au nanoparticles (5.2 ± 0.5 nm) as a Coulomb island. At this charging energy, the devices can be operated up to 160 K with on/off current ratio of 60%.