Integration of tunnel-coupled double nanocrystalline silicon quantum dots with a multiple-gate single-electron transistor

We report on integration of double nanocrystalline silicon quantum dots (nc-Si QDs) of approximately 10 nm in diameter onto the multiple-gate single-electron transistor (SET) used as a highly-sensitive charge polarization detector. The SET with a single charging island is first patterned lithographically on silicon-on-insulator, and the multiple-gate bias dependence of the Coulomb current oscillation is characterized at 4.2 K. The coupling capacitance parameters between the SET charging island and the multiple-gate are estimated and compared with those obtained by using the three-dimensional capacitance simulation. Double nc-Si QDs are then deposited in the immediate vicinity of the charging island of the SET by using the very-high frequency plasma deposition technique. We perform the single-electron circuit simulations and demonstrate that only +/- e charge polarization of the double QDs can be sensed as a shift of the Coulomb oscillation peaks.