Characteristics of Electron Pump Circuits Using Silicon Multiple Tunnel Junctions

Electron pumps based on multiple tunnel junctions have been realized in silicon using highly doped nanowires in silicon-on-insulator material. The electron pump characteristics show a clear transfer of the pattern of Coulomb blockade oscillations to one of a pumping action. Furthermore, the pump current tends to scale linearly with the frequency. The results can be explained by a pumping mechanism in asymmetric multiple tunnel junctions. These devices allow sufficient control of electron packets which are potentially useful as basic building blocks of silicon-based binary-decision-diagram logic circuits.