Suppression of large current fluctuations in 2D nanometer-size multijunctions

In microelectronics, the ultimate building block should be able to control single electrons. This can be achieved with the so-called single electron transistor (SET), based on a metallic dot linked to the source, drain and gate electrodes via tunnel junctions. In order to be efficient at room temperature, the size of the dot has to be about 1 nm. This is impossible to achieve nowadays with a high reproducibility, and therefore 1D and 2D arrays have been recently considered. Until now, a large yield of functional devices could only be obtained with 2D arrays, with the further benefit of larger Coulomb blockade threshold voltage and maximal working temperature. However, for 2D arrays, large chaotic current fluctuations up to 40% are observed with intermittent character. By means of numerical simulations of such arrays, we will evidence there the origin of such a behaviour, and show how to reduce these fluctuations down to the quantum shot noise value.