Last modified: Wednesday, March 23, 2005
The single electron transistor or SET is type of switching device that uses controlled electron tunneling to amplify current. A SET is made from two tunnel junctions that share a common electrode. A tunnel junction consists of two pieces of metal separated by a very thin (~1 nm) insulator. The only way for electrons in one of the metal electrodes to travel to the other electrode is to tunnel through the insulator. Since tunneling is a discrete process, the electric charge that flows through the tunnel junction flows in multiples of e, the charge of a single electron. [Source: Single-Electron Transistors, MITRE Nanosystems Group]
Description of Single-Electron Transistors This article by by Michael S. Montemerlo (MITRE Nanosystems Group) and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of Carnegie Mellon University discusses SET along with providing diagrams.	Related Categories Integrated Circuits (ICs) Nanotechnology Pervasive Computing Related Terms device nanocomputer nanotechnology Shopping single electric transistor Products Compare Products,Prices and Stores Shop by Category: Books 1 Model Matches Musical Instruments 1 Store Offers