Fabrication and electron transport in multilayer silicon-insulator-silicon nanopillars

Abstract

We report the fabrication of sub-0.1-μm-diam silicon nanopillars with a polycrystalline silicon and silicon nitride multilayer structure. The polycrystalline silicon layers, which are 20 nm thick and are separated by 2–3 nm-thick silicon nitride tunnel barriers, make potentially useful structures for the observation of single-electron charging effects. Measurements of electron transport at 4.2 K between contacts at the top and bottom of the pillars show a zero current region and current steps attributed to Coulomb blockade.