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Applied Physics Letters

Sidewall shunted overdamped NbN–MgO–NbN Josephson junctions

Kartik Senapati, Z. H. Barber

Published Apr 27, 2009• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A sidewall shunting method is demonstrated to realize overdamped (i.e., nonhysteretic) current-voltage (IV) characteristics in superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) junctions. Unlike the conventional layout of shunted SIS junctions, patterning a normal metal shunt on one of the sides of the junction considerably reduces the parasitic inductive path and leaves more area on a chip for active components. Using a conventional optical lithography route we have fabricated sidewall shunted SIS junctions of various sizes from NbN–MgO–NbN trilayers on MgO and oxidized Si substrates. In our experiment the effective shunting resistance is realized by a tunnel contact between the shunt metal and the base electrode via a thin layer of insulating MgO. The results of our electrical measurements verify the overdamped nature of the junctions shunted in this manner.

DOI
10.1063/1.3130087

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A sidewall shunting method is demonstrated to realize overdamped (i.e., nonhysteretic) current-voltage (IV) characteristics in superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) junctions. Unlike the conventional layout of shunted SIS junctions, patterning a normal metal shunt on one of the sides of the junction considerably reduces the parasitic inductive path and leaves more area on a chip for active components. Using a conventional optical lithography route we have fabricated sidewall shunted SIS junctions of various sizes from NbN–MgO–NbN trilayers on MgO and oxidized Si substrates. In our experiment the effective shunting resistance is realized by a tunnel contact between the shunt metal and the base electrode via a thin layer of insulating MgO. The results of our electrical measurements verify the overdamped nature of the junctions shunted in this manner.
Self-Shunted NbN Junctions With NbNx/AlN{\rm NbN}_{x}/{\rm AlN}NbNx​/AlN Bilayered Barriers for 4 K Operation
We report the fabrication and electrical characteristics of self-shunted Josephson junctions consisting of NbN electrodes, an AlN barrier, and an NbNx normal layer for an SFQ circuit application. To fabricate such junctions with a high characteristic voltage V c, we have studied their preparation conditions including the surface treatments of MgO substrates. Junction characteristics at 4 K were dependent on the electrical properties and film thickness of the NbNx layer; the underdamped junctions changed into overdamped ones with an increase in the film thickness. The overdamped junctions showed a characteristic voltage Vc of 0.8 mV and a critical current density Jc of 22 A/cm2 at 4.2 K.
Abstract We report on the electrical properties of NbN/TaN/NbN Josephson junctions grown on thermally oxidized silicon substrates, along with the design and fabrication of superconducting single-flux-quantum (SFQ) circuits based on these NbN superconductor/normal metal/superconductor (SNS) junctions. The critical current density ( J c ) of the junctions was found to be relatively sensitive to the barrier thickness, decreasing from 108.0 ± 8.1 kA cm −2 for a 15 nm barrier to 12.8 ± 1.9 kA cm −2 for a 30 nm barrier. For a J c of approximately 24.5 ± 2.1 kA cm −2 and a barrier thickness of 25 nm, the NbN SNS junctions are self-shunted and exhibit nonhysteretic current–voltage ( I – V ) characteristics. Especially for junctions with diameter ( φ ) ranging from 0.8 to 1.6 μ m, their critical current ( I c ) falls within the range of 110–450 μ A, making them suitable for SFQ circuits. By considering the impact of excess current and incorporating it as an additional term in the conventional resistively and capacitively shunted junction model, the I – V curves of NbN SNS junctions can be precisely described, successfully minimizing the deviation between simulations and test results. The DC-SFQ and SFQ-DC interface circuits can both operate normally, and the bias margins of cell circuits such as Josephson transmission line, confluence buffer, D flip-flop, and splitter are greater than 40%. Compared to Nb superconductor/insulator/superconductor junctions, their self-shunting characteristics and relatively thick 25 nm barriers can also enhance the integration of circuits and increase the yield to complex circuits.
Conventional Josephson metal-insulator-metal devices are inherently underdamped and exhibit hysteretic current-voltage response due to a very high subgap resistance compared to that in the normal state. At the same time, overdamped junctions with single-valued characteristics are needed for most superconducting digital applications. The usual way to overcome the hysteretic behavior is to place an external low-resistance normal-metal shunt in parallel with each junction. Unfortunately, such solution results in a considerable complication of the circuitry design and introduces parasitic inductance through the junction. This paper provides a concise overview of some generic approaches that have been proposed in order to realize internal shunting in Josephson heterostructures with a barrier that itself contains the desired resistive component. The main attention is paid to self-shunted devices with local weak-link transmission probabilities that are so strongly disordered in the interface plane that transmission probabilities are tiny for the main part of the transition region between two super-conducting electrodes, while a small part of the interface is well transparent. We discuss the possibility of realizing a universal bimodal distribution function and emphasize advantages of such junctions that can be considered as a new class of self-shunted Josephson devices promising for practical applications in superconducting electronics operating at 4.2 K.
Abstract Superconducting circuits based on Josephson junctions have the potential to achieve high speed and ultra-low power consumption, but their integration is limited by the low controllability of Nb-based tunnel junction and the existence of shunt resistors. In this work, we report the fabrication of superconductor/normal metal/superconductor (SNS) Josephson junctions with high reproducibility on oxidized Si substrates. The junctions based on NbN/TaN/NbN trilayers measured at 4.2 K show excellent Josephson properties with a wide range of critical current ( I c ) from 227 to 2000 μ A. The variations of critical current density ( J c ) and characteristic voltage ( V c ) are respectively less than 7.1% and 7.5% in the 2 inch region. The standard deviation of I c is calculated to be less than 1.7% for Josephson arrays with the number of junctions up to 10 000 occupying an area of 0.34 mm 2 . The results provide a guarantee for the applications of NbN-SNS Josephson junctions in superconducting large-scale integrated circuits.
Abstract This study is devoted to the investigation of tunneling superconductor–insulator–superconductor (SIS) Josephson junctions with a new type of shunt based on an additional superconductor–insulator–normal metal (SIN) junction placed around the SIS junction. In the course of study, the parameters of such shunted junctions are numerically calculated and their current–voltage characteristics (IVC) are simulated. The designed structures are assembled in real samples and their parameters are studied; the IVC of junctions with different degrees of shunting are measured, and the behavior of these junctions under the influence of high-frequency signals in the subterahertz range is studied.
Superconductor–insulator–superconductor (SIS) tunnel junctions including magnetic barriers, with structures NbN/AlNiN/NbN or NbN/MgO/NiO/MgO/NbN, were fabricated. The junctions with upper NbN layers of good crystallinity showed a gap voltage ( V g ) higher than 5 mV. In an NbN/Al 0.942 Ni 0.058 N/NbN junction, its Josephson current I c was suppressed to approximately a third of a theoretical value under no magnetic field. Therefore, it would be possible to avoid Josephson noise in magnetic barrier junctions with a much smaller magnetic field than junctions with conventional barriers. The Ni ion area density dependence of I c suppression ratio was identical for both types of junction, suggesting that the area density of magnetic ions is the factor that determines the I c suppression ratio. On the other hand, the extents of degradation of V g and increase in leakage current caused by the increase in Ni ion area density were smaller in MgO/NiO/MgO barrier junctions than in AlNiN barrier junctions. This suggests that the proximity effect of magnetic ions was weakened owing to the separation of Ni ions and NbN layers by the inserted thin MgO layers.