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International Conference on Solid State Devices and Materials (SSDM)

Fabrication of High Quality NbN/Pb Josephson Junction

Fujitoshi Shinoki, S. Takada, S. Kosaka, Hisao Hayakawa

Published Aug 28, 1979• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A fabrication technology of NbN/Pb Josephson tunnel junctions has been developed by using a new microfabrication technique. The Josephson characteristics of NbN/Pb tunnel junctions formed on rf reactive sputtered NbN films are reported. The junctions are found to have large gaps (ΔNbN+ΔPb=3.8 mV), low leakage, and to be quite stable with respect to thermal cyclings and storage at room temperature.

DOI
10.7567/ssdm.1979.c-2-2

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A fabrication technology of NbN/Pb Josephson tunnel junctions has been developed by using a new microfabrication technique. The Josephson characteristics of NbN/Pb tunnel junctions formed on rf reactive sputtered NbN films are reported. The junctions are found to have large gaps (ΔNbN+ΔPb=3.8 mV), low leakage, and to be quite stable with respect to thermal cyclings and storage at room temperature.
We have developed a new integration method for Josephson tunnel junctions based on high Tc superconducting compound materials such as NbN. In this method, a sputtered ZnO film has been employed as a resist mask which can be used in high substrate temperatures during the film deposition. It has been found that fine patterns of the refractory superconducting film can be obtained by this method and the patterning processes have no interference with other integration processes. We have applied this method to patterning base electrode of NbN and formed high quality NbN-oxide-Pb Josephson tunnel junctions by using an rf plasma oxidation. The fabricated junctions have been found to have a relatively large gap ( ∼ 4.0 mV ) and low current leak in the subgap region, and to be quite stable for thermal cyclings and storage. We have also fabricated quantum interference memory devices by integrating these junctions and the operation has been successfully demonstrated.
High quality NbN-NbOX-Pb Josephson devices have been fabricated by r.f. diode sputtering. The critical temperatures of the NbN films were as high as 16.8 K. The junction geometry was defined by photolithography and the oxide barrier was obtained by thermal oxidation or by a plasma oxidation technique. Very low leakage currents have been obtained, corresponding to values of the parameter Vm = 80 mV (Vm = IO× 2 mV/I (2mV)). The junction microwave quality factor Q and other a.c. properties have been measured in the frequency range 20 - 300 GHz by looking at the devices self-resonant modes. Q values up to 120 at 4.2 K have been found in the low frequency range, indicating potential performances of these devices for microwave applications such as Josephson voltage standards. Theoretical analysis of the results shows that the main contribution to the losses is related to the NbN films surface impedance.
A novel process suitable for fabrication superconducting circuitry based on the all refactory material NbN is described. In this process, and in-situ trilayer film composed of NbN/MgO/NbN is used to fabricate Josephson tunnel junctions. Reactive ion etching processes are used to delineate devices and pattern insulators and metallizations. Fabricated junctions have yielded good tunneling characteristics with reasonable current density uniformity and reproducibility. Devices with gap voltages close to 3mV have been achieved for high quality junctions (Vm 20 mV). In addition to the trilayer, there are two wiring layers, two resistor depositions, and two insulation layers, constituting a full NbN based fabrication technology. Using this process, we fabricated and successfully tested thin film DC SQUID and time domain reflectometer (TDR) circuits. Preliminary measurements suggest that the critical temperature of these circuits is well within the operating temperature of commercial two-stage closed cycle refrigerators. (Author)
All-NbN Josephson tunnel junctions with sputter-deposited magnesium oxide barriers have been fabricated using single-crystal NbN films for the base electrodes. Fabricated Josephson junctions have shown good tunneling characteristics with large gap voltages (5.6-5.8 mV), narrow gap widths (0.1-0.2 mV, from 30 to 70%), and small subgap leakage currents (V/sub m/=20-30 mV, measured at 3 mV). The results of a measurement of a subgap structure for a fabricated junction suggest that the excess leakage currents of fabricated junctions are due to multiparticle tunneling through locally thin areas in the MgO barriers.
A novel process suitable for fabricating superconducting circuitry based on the all refractory material NbN is described. In this process, an in-situ trilayer film composed of NbN/MgO/NbN is used to fabricate Josephson tunnel junctions. Reactive ion etching processes are used to delineate devices and pattern insulators and metallizations. Fabricated junctions have yielded good tunneling characteristics with reasonable current density uniformity and reproducibility. Devices with gap voltages close to 5mV have been achieved for high quality junctions. In addition to the trilayer, there are two wiring layers, two resistor depositions, and two insulation layers, constituting a full NbN based fabrication technology. Using this process, we fabricated and successfully tested thin film DC SQUID and time domain reflectometer (TDR) circuits. Preliminary measurements suggest that the critical temperature of these circuits is well within the operating temperature of commercial two-stage closed cycle refrigerators.