Quantum-size effects on the characteristics of single-electron tunneling

Effects of single-electron tunneling charging and Coulomb blockade in a cluster structure (molecular transistor) with regard to the quantization of electron levels in an island electrode are investigated. The spectrum of electrons is calculated for small disk-shaped clusters. Restrictions connected with the Coulomb instability of the cluster and electron relaxation are introduced in the theory. The current gap and its voltage asymmetry are calculated for single-electron transistors based on small gold clusters. The effect of the cluster shape on the current gap is investigated.