SIMON: A Single Electron Device and Circuit Simulator

SIMON is a sophisticated multipurpose simulator for single-electron devices and circuits. It features a graphical circuit editor embedded in a graphical user interface as well as the simulation of co-tunnel events and a single step interactive analyses mode. It supports energy dependent density of states and is able to calculate stability plots.

For any questions please contact Chris Wasshuber at by email.

Suggested reading:

Computational Single-Electronics
Christoph Wasshuber (July 2001)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
   1. Single-Electronics Made Easy
   2. A Historical Look Back
2. Theory
   1. Orthodox Single-Electron Theory
   2. Time and Space Correlations
   3. Master Equation of Electron Transport
   4. Extensions to the Orthodox Theory
3. Simulation Methods and Numerical Algorithms
   1. Monte Carlo Method
   2. Solution of the Master Equation
   3. Coupling with SPICE
   4. Free Energy
   5. Tunnel Transmission Coefficient
   6. Energy Levels
   7. Evaluation Schemes for Cotunneling
   8. Rate Calculation Including Electromagnetic Environment
   9. Numerical Integration of Tunnel Rates
   10. Time Dependent Node Voltages and Node Charges
   11. Stability Diagram and Stable States
   12. Capacitance Calculations
4. Circuits and Applications
   1. Fundamental Circuits
   2. Metrology Applications
   3. Memory
   4. Logic
   5. Interfacing to CMOS
   6. Exotic Circuits
   7. Evolutionary Circuit Design
5. Random Background Charges
   1. The Good Side of High Charge Sensitivity
   2. Solutions on the Material Level
   3. Solutions on the Device Level
   4. Solutions on the Circuit and System Level
6. Manufacturing Methods and Material Systems
   1. Shadow Evaporation
   2. Step-Edge Cutoff
   3. Nanoimprint
   4. Planar Quantum Dots
   5. Scanning Probe Microscopy
   6. Granular Films
   7. Self-Assembled Structures
   8. Outlook
7. Appendixes
   1. Fermi's Golden Rule
   2. Capacitance and Resistance Extraction from Measured Data
   3. Analytic Solutions of the Cotunneling Rate
   4. Algorithms from Number Theory
   5. Convex Hull of Point Set
   6. Analytic Capacitance Calculation
8. References
9. Subject Index

Versions and Prices:

Ordering SIMON:

Please use the secure order links in the Versions and Prices section to place your order. You can pay by check, credit card or PayPal.

If you need any special arrangements, such as payment by wire transfer, purchase orders, references or other documentation, please contact me by email or fax (see top of this page).

Please note that all billing will be handled through LYBRARY.COM. This means your credit card deduction will bear the name Lybrary.com.

Features of SIMON 2.0:

• STABILITY PLOT
  • traditional stability plot with two voltages as x- and y-axis
  • one axis can be the temperature
  • one or both axis can be a capacitance or resistance
  • differentiation in x or y direction possible
• NORMAL RESISTORS
  • normal resistors allow the modeling of more complex and realistic circuits
• CURRENT SOURCES
  • current sources can be specified with a certain charge-granularity, which allows the modeling of electron injectors/pumps/turnstiles in a very easy manner
• ENERGY DEPENDENT DENSITY OF STATES
  • The tunnel model has been improved by incorporating three kinds of density of states functions
    • constant with optional bandgap (metallic)
    • square-root with bandgap (semiconductor-like)
    • x/(x²-1)^1/2 with bandgap (superconductor-like)
  • discrete energy levels are modeled as gaussian functions, with mean, width, and height.
• SUPPORT FOR SUPERCONDUCTING TUNNEL JUNCTIONS
  • quasiparticle tunneling
• FULL SUPPORT FOR LINUX
  • SIMON is shipped in a software package where all necessary libraries (tcl/tk) are wrapped into the application. Hence no need to install any 3rd party tools to run SIMON on Linux. The installation is as easy as copying a file into a subdirectory. 
• EASY TO USE
  • simple automatic installation for Windows operating systems
  • graphical user interface
  • graphical circuit editor (drag and drop assembly of circuits; few mouse clicks and your circuit is assembled)
  • graphical visualization of simulation results (you can plot many graphs in one diagram; compare results from different simulations)
• CO-TUNNELING
  • co-tunneling is simulated up to a user specified order
  • two different co-tunnel simulation algorithms are available
• INTERACTIVE SINGLE-STEP MODE
  • single electrons can be forced to tunnel through particular tunnel junctions in an interactive fashion
  • the system energy, all node voltages, and all node charges are updated automatically

License Terms:

LICENSOR and AUTHOR:

DI. Dr. Christoph Wasshuber
PO Box 425281
Cambridge, MA 02142
USA

LICENSOR grants to the purchaser of the license (hereinafter called LICENSEE) of the SIMON-Software-Package (hereinafter called SIMON) a non-exclusive license to use SIMON on one computer and upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set out.

1. LICENSEE acknowledges that the code of SIMON which has been originally developed by Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Christoph Wasshuber is supplied "as is", without any accompanying maintenance services from the LICENSOR and AUTHOR.
 

EDUCATIONAL and CAMPUS License:
2. This is an EDUCATIONAL LICENSE and therefore SIMON shall be used only for educational or research purposes. The use for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited.

COMMERCIAL and DEVELOPER License:
2. This is a COMMERCIAL LICENSE and therefore SIMON can be used for commercial purposes.

3. LICENSEE agrees that any output of SIMON and any results obtained with SIMON will bear the subscript:

SIMON - Simulation of Nano Structures - Christoph Wasshuber

4. LICENSEE agrees to reference in any publication which directly or indirectly uses results obtained by SIMON the following work:

Computational Single-Electronics, Christoph Wasshuber, 2001, Springer-Verlag,
ISBN 3-211-83558-X.

5. LICENSEE agrees to notify the LICENSOR by email, or regular mail, of every publication, where output or results obtained with SIMON have been used, and to send a copy or reprint of the same publication to the LICENSOR (address see above).