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IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity

Optimization and passivation of HTS step-edge Josephson junction rf SQUIDs

Jia Du

Published Jun 1, 2003• 15 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In this work, various methods of improving the performance and yield of our step-edge junction rf SQUIDs are described. These methods include adjusting the YBCO thin film thickness and trimming of the device parameters by ion beam etching and heat annealing. Significant improvement in SQUID performance and yield was demonstrated by employing these techniques. The effects of passivation of the rf SQUIDs by ex-situ deposition of an amorphous-YBCO thin film were also studied. No adverse effects were observed for the noise performance of the devices due to passivation and long-term stability was obtained.

DOI
10.1109/tasc.2003.814069

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In this work, various methods of improving the performance and yield of our step-edge junction rf SQUIDs are described. These methods include adjusting the YBCO thin film thickness and trimming of the device parameters by ion beam etching and heat annealing. Significant improvement in SQUID performance and yield was demonstrated by employing these techniques. The effects of passivation of the rf SQUIDs by ex-situ deposition of an amorphous-YBCO thin film were also studied. No adverse effects were observed for the noise performance of the devices due to passivation and long-term stability was obtained.
Rf SQUIDs have been fabricated on MgO substrate using step-edge YBCO junction. Ion beam etching as a post fabrication trimming process is routinely used to reduce (trim) the critical current of the junction for noise optimization. The white noise of SQUIDs with inductance,Ls= 157 pH can be reduced to 55μΦoHz−1/2after the trimming process. However, 1/f noise at low frequency has been found to be degraded after the trimming. Rf SQUIDs withLs= 130 pH were fabricated and measured. A similar noise performance was achieved in these SQUIDs down to 5 Hz without the need of trimming. The 1/f noise was found to be better than that of the trimmed SQUIDs.
We describe the noise performance of thin-film YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 RF SQUIDS fabricated on MgO substrates with single step-edge Josephson junctions. A substantial range of noise levels has been observed for devices having similar electrical parameters (inductance, critical current, RF frequency). The best devices have white-noise levels below 10 -4 phi 0 Hz -1/2 when operated at a frequency of 170-200 MHz and have 1/f noise corners of a few hertz. Measurements of the V RF versus L RF characteristics of one SQUID, indicate that intrinsic device noise dominates the measured total noise of these devices. The white noise of all devices exceeds the predictions of the theory of Kurkijarvi at al. by a large factor, apparently because of non-ideal behaviour of step-edge Josephson junctions.
We report the development of a fabrication process of high-resistance step-edge Josephson junctions on sharp argon ion beam etched substrate steps. For a reproducible fabrication, the redeposition of material at the step during the etch process has to be avoided. This is achieved by an alternating angle of ion incidence parallel to the edge of the photoresist mask. The reproducible straight step profile exhibits an angle around and is reflected in reproducible electrical properties of the junctions. Critical current and asymptotic normal state resistance both scale with the junction width w . The current-voltage ( I - V ) characteristics depend on the ratio of film thickness t to step height h . For > 0.85 they are flux-flow-like; for < 0.8 they correspond to the resistively shunted junction (RSJ) model. Lower ratios of correspond to higher specific resistances resulting at 77 K typically in asymptotic normal state resistances between 5 and per junction, depending on w . At 77 K we achieve products of more than . The junctions are applied to dc superconducting quantum interference devices (dc-SQUIDs) with inductances between 25 and 35 pH. At 77 K transfer functions of more than are achieved. noise of the step-edge dc-SQUIDs is observed, but using bias current modulation it is entirely suppressed resulting in a spectral density of flux noise of measured at 1 Hz and 77 K for a SQUID with an inductance of 30 pH.
Current-voltage characteristics and microwave mixing properties of step-edge microbridge Josephson junctions (SEJJs) made of YBaCuO thin films were systematically investigated. The step-edge was formed on the surface of a MgO(100) substrate employing the common photolithograph and wet-etching techniques. YBaCuO thin film was deposited by the off-axis sputtering method, and the microbridge junctions were fabricated so as to cross the step-edge. The SEJJs showed typical DC and AC characteristics which were explained by the resistively shunted junction (RSJ) model. Mixing experiments were carried out in the K-band microwave region. An intermediate frequency (IF) output with the frequency range of 20 MHz~2.0 GHz was successfully obtained.
Current-voltage characteristics and microwave mixing properties of step-edge microbridge Josephson junctions (SEJJs) made of YBaCuO thin films were systematically investigated. The step-edge was formed on the surface of a MgO(100) substrate employing the common photolithograph and wet-etching techniques. YBaCuO thin film was deposited by the off-axis sputtering method, and the microbridge junctions were fabricated so as to cross the step-edge. The SEJJs showed typical DC and AC characteristics which were explained by the resistively shunted junction (RSJ) model. Mixing experiments were carried out in the K-band microwave region. An intermediate frequency (IF) output with the frequency range of 20 MHz∼2.0 GHz was successfully obtained.
We have developed a technique which permits high-yield fabrication of microbridges and low noise YBa2Cu3O7 superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) in epitaxial thin films. These SQUIDs operate over a wide temperature range extending from 4 K to close to the superconducting transition temperature. Measurements of an rf SQUID operating at 77 K give a peak-to-peak flux sensitivity of 36 μV/Φ0 and a flux noise at 10 Hz of 1.5× 10−4 Φ0/√Hz. Device yields over 80% have been obtained.