SINGLE-ELECTRON TRAPS - A QUANTITATIVE COMPARISON OF THEORY AND EXPERIMENT

We have carried out a coordinated experimental and theoretical study o f single-electron traps based on submicron metallic (aluminum) islands and Al/AlOx/Al tunnel junctions. The results of geometrical modeling using a modified version of MIT's FASTCAP were used as input data for the general-purpose single-electron circuit simulator MOSES. The analy sis indicates reasonable quantitative agreement between theory and exp eriment for those trap characteristics which are not affected by rando m offset charges. The observed differences (ranging from a few to fift y percent) can be readily explained by the uncertainty in the exact ge ometry of the experimental nanostructures. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.