NEGATIVE DIFFERENTIAL RESISTANCE ON SINGLE-ELECTRON TRANSPORT IN A JUNCTION ARRAY OF ULTRASMALL ISLANDS

We predict a new type of negative differential resistance (NDR) in a n onlinear ten-junction array of nine conducting islands with ultrasmall self-capacitance. A main feature of our array is that two of the ten junctions go in the direction opposite to an external in-plane electri c field. The NDR characteristic is one of Coulomb blockade phenomena a nd is triggered by competition between the two tunnel rates across two specific junctions depending on the external voltage. Calculations fo r the electron dynamics are based on the orthodox semiclassical single electron tunneling model. (C) 1997 American Vacuum Society.