Silicon nanopillars for mechanical single-electron transport

Nanomechanical systems have been shown to accurately regulate the flow of electric current. We present the concept and demonstrate experimental operation of a vertical electromechanical single-electron transistor. The device is fabricated from silicon forming a nanopillar situated between source and drain contacts. The advantage of this concept is its straightforward manufacturing, which only includes two processing steps: Electron-beam lithography and reactive ion etching. The device operates at room temperature and at frequencies in the range of 350–400 MHz. A theoretical model of the operation of this device is given, explaining qualitatively the obtained experimental data.