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arXiv:2511.08931 · Nature Materials

All-nitride superconducting qubits based on atomic layer deposition

Danqing Wang, Yufeng Wu, Naomi Pieczulewski, Prachi Garg, Manuel C. C. Pace, C. G. L. Bøttcher, Baishakhi Mazumder, David A. Muller, Hong X. Tang

quant-phSubmitted Nov 12, 2025• Announced Nov 13, 2025• 8 citations
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Abstract

The development of large-scale quantum processors benefits from superconducting qubits that can operate at elevated temperatures and be fabricated with scalable, foundry-compatible processes. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is increasingly being adopted as an industrial standard for thin-film growth, particularly in applications requiring precise control over layer thickness and composition. Here, we report superconducting qubits based on NbN/AlN/NbN trilayers deposited entirely by ALD. By varying the number of ALD cycles used to form the AlN barrier, we achieve Josephson tunneling through barriers of different thicknesses, with critical current density spanning seven orders of magnitude, demonstrating the uniformity and versatility of the process. Owing to the high critical temperature of NbN, transmon qubits based on these all-nitride trilayers exhibit microsecond-scale relaxation times, even at temperatures above 300 mK. These results establish ALD as a viable low-temperature deposition technique for superconducting quantum circuits and position all-nitride ALD qubits as a promising platform for operation at elevated temperatures.

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The development of large-scale quantum processors benefits from superconducting qubits that can operate at elevated temperatures and be fabricated with scalable, foundry-compatible processes. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is increasingly being adopted as an industrial standard for thin-film growth, particularly in applications requiring precise control over layer thickness and composition. Here, we report superconducting qubits based on NbN/AlN/NbN trilayers deposited entirely by ALD. By varying the number of ALD cycles used to form the AlN barrier, we achieve Josephson tunneling through barriers of different thicknesses, with critical current density spanning seven orders of magnitude, demonstrating the uniformity and versatility of the process. Owing to the high critical temperature of NbN, transmon qubits based on these all-nitride trilayers exhibit microsecond-scale relaxation times, even at temperatures above 300 mK. These results establish ALD as a viable low-temperature deposition technique for superconducting quantum circuits and position all-nitride ALD qubits as a promising platform for operation at elevated temperatures.
Abstract Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been identified as a promising growth method for high-uniformity superconducting thin films for superconducting quantum photonic applications, offering superior uniformity, thickness control and conformality to techniques such as reactive sputtering. The potential scalability of ALD makes this method especially appealing for fabrication of superconducting nanowires and resonators across large areas. We report on the growth of highly uniform superconducting NbN thin films via plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) with radio frequency substrate biasing, on a 200 mm (8 inch) Si wafer, specifically for superconducting nanowire single-photon detector applications. Niobium nitride films were grown using (tert-butylimido)-tris(diethylamido)-niobium(V) precursor and an H 2 /Ar plasma. The superconducting properties of a variable thickness series of films (5.9–29.8 nm) show critical temperature ( T c ) of 13.5 K approaching bulk thickness (28.8 nm) with low suppression down to the ultrathin regime (5.9 nm), with T c = 10.2 K. T c across the 200 mm wafer with 8 nm thick NbN, measured in 15 mm intervals, exhibits minimal variation (<7%). Microbridge structures fabricated on 8 nm thick NbN films also exhibit high critical current densities ( J c ), > 10 MA cm −2 at 2.6 K. PEALD could therefore be a pivotal technique in enabling large-scale fabrication of integrated quantum photonic devices across a variety of applications.
This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of superconducting qubit components from titanium nitride (TiN) and aluminum nitride (AlN) layers to create Josephson junctions and superconducting resonators in an all-nitride architecture. Our methodology comprises a complete process flow for the fabrication of TiN/AlN/TiN junctions, characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), ellipsometry and DC electrical measurements. We evaluated the sputtering rates of AlN under varied conditions, the critical temperatures of TiN thin films for different sputtering environments, and the internal quality factors of TiN resonators in the few-GHz regime, fabricated from these films. Overall, this offered insights into the material properties critical to qubit performance. Measurements of the dependence of the critical current of the TiNIIIAlNIIITiN junctions yielded values ranging from 150μA\mu \mathbf{A}μAto 2μA\mu \mathbf{A}μA, for AlN barrier thicknesses up to ca. 5 nm, respectively. Our findings demonstrate advances in the fabrication of nitride-based superconducting qubit components, which may find applications in quantum computing technologies based on novel materials.
We developed a process for fabricating nitride superconductor-based superconducting qubits monolithically integrated with a single flux quantum (SFQ)-based readout and control circuits. Since we used a Josephson junction (JJ) made of an NbN/AlN/NbN tri-layer, including a critical current density (Jc) of 50 A/cm2as the suitable material for superconducting qubits and SFQ readout/control circuits operating at 20 mK, the JJs for both the qubits and the SFQ circuits could simultaneously be fabricated. The device structure was also composed of three superconductive layers, comprising two superconductive layers as wiring layers and other layers as the top ground plane. Then, we used a Pd film as the resistive layer, which is required as the shunt resistors and the bias resistors for the SFQ control circuits, followed by an investigation of the properties of NbN/AlN/NbN epitaxial junctions and evaluation of the sheet inductance of the base NbN and wiring NbTiN layer. Our results showed the successful fabrication of a JJ with a sufficiently low leakage current and aJcof around 50 A/cm2, which was close to the target value. Furthermore, the evaluated sheet inductance exceeded 1 pH, which was several times larger than the values obtained for Nb-integrated circuits.
Epitaxial NbN/AlN/NbN Josephson junctions are promising alternatives to conventional Al/AlOx_xx​/Al junctions for superconducting qubits due to their crystalline tunnel barriers and the high transition temperature of NbN. However, their integration into quantum circuits typically requires complex fabrication processes involving amorphous interlayer dielectrics, which can degrade qubit coherence times. To address these issues, we developed sidewall spacer passivated epitaxial NbN/AlN/NbN junctions using a fabrication process that reduces both the volume of amorphous dielectric material and fabrication complexity. The fabricated junctions exhibited a large gap voltage of approximately 5.6 mV and low subgap leakage currents. By varying the thickness of the AlN tunnel barrier, high-quality junctions were fabricated over a wide range of critical current densities Jc{\it J}_cJc​, from 0.3 to 104^44 A/cm2^22. In addition, the comparison of the current-voltage characteristics before and after buffered hydrofluoric acid treatment indicated that the wet etching process did not degrade the electrical characteristics of the junctions. These results establish a scalable fabrication process for epitaxial Josephson junctions and provide a promising platform for high-coherence nitride-based superconducting qubits.
Abstract Superconducting qubits are a promising quantum computing platform, but significant challenges remain, such as achieving sufficiently long and stable coherence times and precise control of circuit parameters. Further improvements in material processing are essential to overcome these challenges. This paper introduces our research on superconducting quantum circuit technology based on nitride superconductors, where the core technologies are epitaxial growth of titanium nitride (TiN) on silicon (Si) substrates and epitaxial Josephson junctions using niobium nitride (NbN), aluminum nitride (AlN), and magnesium oxide (MgO). We have established a fabrication process of NbN/AlN/NbN epitaxial junctions on Si (100) substrates using a TiN film as a buffer layer and are working on applying this process to superconducting qubits. We describe recent results on the effect of junction annealing and discuss the advantages and potential of epitaxial Josephson junctions for realizing large-scale superconducting quantum circuits.
Microscopic inhomogeneity within superconducting films is a critical bottleneck hindering the performance and scalability of quantum circuits. All-nitride Josephson Junctions (JJs) have attracted substantial attention for their potential to provide enhanced coherence times and enable higher temperature operation. However, their performance is often limited by local variations caused by polymorphism, impurities, and interface quality. This work diagnoses atomic-scale limitations preventing superconducting NbN/AlN/NbN JJs from reaching their full potential. Electrical measurements reveal suppressed critical current density and soft onset of quasiparticle current. However, inverse proportionality between resistance and junction area confirms homogenous barrier thickness. This isolates structural and chemical variations in electrodes and barrier as the source of performance limitation. The observed characteristics are attributed to complex materials problems: NbN polymorphism, phase coexistence, and oxygen impurities. Using advanced microscopy and machine learning integrated approach, nanoscale inclusions of epsilon-Nb2N2 are found to coexist within dominant delta-NbN electrodes. DC performance of JJs may be affected by these defects, leading to unresolved supercurrent and soft transition to normal state. By identifying specific atomic scale defects, tracing its origin to initial film nucleation, and linking to its detrimental electrical signature, this work establishes a material-to-device correlation and provides targeted strategy for phase engineering towards reproducible, high coherence and scalable quantum devices.