Sub-micron superconducting electronic devices may play a role in the realisation of proposed architectures for quantum computing and metrology. Further miniaturisation of superconducting electronics relies on the ability to fabricate the basic building block, the Josephson junction, on the scale of the superconducting coherence length, with sufficient accuracy that the junction characteristics may be controlled. Making use of focused ion beam technology to fabricate thin-film Nb microbridge devices, we examine the evolution of device characteristics with dimension, focusing on control of the critical current and suppression of superconductivity due to phase-slip behaviour.
In this paper, we present our latest results on the properties of superconducting weak links prepared in Mo films by ion-implantation and in Nb films by electron-beam lithography. In the case of the ion-implanted weak links, which structurally resemble proximity-effect bridges, we find that the static properties are quite well described by a recent theory of Likharev and Yakobson. We further find that the rf response of these weak links is in excellent agreement with quasistatic resistively-shunted-junction model calculations based on a sinusoidal current-phase relation at those temperatures for which such a current-phase relation is predicted by the static theory of Likharev and Yakob-son. For the e-beam fabricated Nb bridges, which have the Dayem bridge geometry, our sample preparation techniques have allowed us to produce bridges and two-junction interferometers in which the link dimensions are as small as about 2000 Angstroms. We find that Josephson effects are observable in these bridges even when the bridge dimensions exceed the temperature-dependent coherence length by about an order of magnitude, but are still less than the effective thin-film penetration depth.
A novel method of fabrication, as described in the following, was developed that ensures a good reproducibility of the junction. Namely, poly-Si was deposited over a Si substrate whose surface had been previously thermally oxidized. The poly-Si overlaid surface was then thermally oxidized. The bridge configuration of the junction was microprocessed by means of electron beam lithography. The fabricated configuration served as a mask in depositing the Nb layer on the substrate by means of rf sputtering to conclude the fabrication of a microbridge Josephson junction. The final process of the formation of the variable thickness microbridge configuration was readily carried out by placing another properly shaped mask over the masking bridge or by forming an SiO2 layer over the poly-Si layer. The SiO2 layer was processed by selective plasma etching so that it would act as a mask over the bridge portion. The stabilization of the characteristics of the junction has been achieved due to the passivation which takes place during the heat treatment in atmosphere by forced oxidation of the Nb film surface and to the annealing of the film itself.
We report on the characteristics of thin film microbridge Josephson junctions fabricated using electron beam lithography and discuss the techniques used to fabricate these junctions, which are typically 0.3μ square. Extensive measurements have been made on both individual junctions of tin and indium and on small arrays of these junctions. Synchronization of current biased series arrays by an applied microwave field has been achieved. This synchronization appears as a zero differential resistance across the entire array at a voltage of MVJwhere M is the number of elements in series and VJis the Josephson voltage hv/2e. Furthermore we have observed a systematic variation with microbridge dimension of the microwave enhancement of the critical current.
In this work, we briefly overview various options for Josephson junctions, which should be scalable down to nanometer range for utilization in nanoscale digital superconducting technology. Such junctions should possess high values of critical current,
Ic, and normal state resistance,
RN. Another requirement is the high reproducibility of the junction parameters across a wafer in a fabrication process. We argue that superconductor-normal metal-superconductor (
SN-
N-
NS) Josephson junction of ``variable thickness bridge'' geometry is a promising choice to meet these requirements. Theoretical analysis of the
SN-
N-
NS junction is performed in the case where the distance between the
S electrodes is comparable to the coherence length of the
N material. The restriction on the junction geometrical parameters providing the existence of superconductivity in the
S electrodes is derived for the current flowing through the junction of an order of
Ic. The junction heating, as well as available mechanisms for the heat removal, is analyzed. The obtained results show that a
SN-
N-
NS junction with a high (submillivolt) value of
IcRN product can be fabricated from a broadly utilized combination of materials like Nb/Cu using well-established technological processes. The junction area can be scaled down to that of semiconductor transistors fabricated in the frame of a 40-nm process.