As electronic device dimensions are continuously reduced, new functions based on atomistic considerations can be implemented. Single-dopant transistors have been proposed based on a different mechanism as compared to conventional transistors, by making use of tunneling transport via individual dopant atoms located in nanoscale-channel transistors. However, typical dopants have shallow ground-state levels and thermally-activated transport becomes

Electronic potential measurements performed by low-temperature Kelvin probe force microscopy on silicon-on-insulator lateral nanoscale pn junctions are presented. The electronic potential landscape contains a region of enhanced potential induced by interdiffused dopants with deeper ground-state levels compared to bulk. The discrete dopant distribution can be observed in specific line profiles. In most line profiles, time-dependent potential fluctuations

Individual dopant atoms in silicon devices gain active roles as channel dimensions move into nanoscale from source to drain. A single donor can work as an atomic quantum dot, mediating single-electron tunneling transport. However, tunneling operation of single-donor transistors has so far been reported only at low temperatures below ~15 K, mainly because the tunnel barriers coupling the donor to the leads are too low. For higher-temperature operation,

We study the photoresponse of Si nanoscale p–n and p–i–n diodes. As a result, we find a photon-sensitive multilevel random telegraph signal (RTS) in p–n diodes, but not in p–i–n diodes. From this fact and analysis of current jumps in the RTS, the multilevel RTS is ascribed to single photocarrier charging and discharging in a donor–acceptor pair in the depletion region. Thus, it is found that a donor–acceptor pair plays an important

We have comparatively studied the effects of electron injection in individual phosphorus-donor potential wells at 13 K and 300 K by Kelvin probe force microscopy in silicon-on-insulator metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors. As a result, at 13 K, localized single-electron filling into the phosphorus-donor potential well is found, reflecting single-electron tunneling transport through individual donors, whereas at 300 K, spatially

A detector based on a pixellated scintillator crystal coupled on two opposite sides to Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) strips is presented. In one direction the width of the SiPM strips matches the crystal pitch, while in the other direction the strip length is equal to the crystal pitch times the number of pixels in a row. The SiPM strips on one side are orthogonal to the strips on the other side. The crystal position can be identified using a row-column