Nitrogen in silicon for room temperature single-electron tunneling devices

Single-electron transistor (SET) has an advanced feature that can be exploited in quantum devices. For practical utilization of such devices, the room-temperature operation is highly essential. Dopant-based single-electron devices are well studied at low temperatures although a few devices are developed for high-temperature operation with certain limitations. Here, we propose and theoretically exhibit that nitrogen (N) donor in silicon is an important candidate for the effective designing of quantum devices. Theoretical calculation of the density of states using the semi-empirical density functional theory method indicates that N-donor in silicon has a deep ground state compared to a phosphorus (P) donor. The N-donor spectrum is explored in nano-silicon structure along with the P-donor. A comparative study of the Bohr radius of N-donor and P-donor is also reported. The simulated current-voltage characteristics confirm that the N-doped device is better suited for SET operation at room temperature. Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.