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Journal of Physics Conference Series

Optimization of the process of obtaining superconducting bilayer films based on niobium nitride and gold for the manufacture of a superconducting single-photon detector

M Davydchenko

Published Dec 1, 2019• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract We have manufactured a number of bilayer structures based on niobium nitride and gold with different deposition parameters for NbN-Au films (Table 1). We measured the characteristics of superconducting niobium nitride films both with the top layer of gold and without gold. On the basis of the measured characteristics of the films, the optimal parameters of the deposition of NbN-Au bilayer films were chosen for the further formation of a superconducting single-photon detector.

DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/1410/1/012242

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Abstract We have manufactured a number of bilayer structures based on niobium nitride and gold with different deposition parameters for NbN-Au films (Table 1). We measured the characteristics of superconducting niobium nitride films both with the top layer of gold and without gold. On the basis of the measured characteristics of the films, the optimal parameters of the deposition of NbN-Au bilayer films were chosen for the further formation of a superconducting single-photon detector.
Niobium nitride (NbN) is widely used in the production of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) due to its high superconducting transition temperature and suitable energy gap. The processing parameters used for the preparation of NbN films and the subsequent processing of nanowires have a significant effect on the performance of the SNSPD. In this review, we will present various thin film growth methods, including magnetron sputtering, atomic layer deposition (ALD), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The relationships between the superconducting performance of each thin film and the corresponding deposition process will be discussed. Subsequently, NbN nanowire fabrication methods and microstructures based on thin film etching will be summarized, and their impact on the qualities of the finished SNSPDs will be systematically analyzed. Finally, we will provide an outlook for the future development of preparation for SNSPD.
Superconducting niobium nitride (NbN) continues to be investigated decades on, largely in part to its advantageous superconducting properties and wide use in superconducting electronics. Particularly, NbN-based superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have shown exceptional performance and NbN remains as the material of choice in developing future generation quantum devices. In this perspective, we describe the processing-structure-property relationships governing the superconducting properties of NbN films. We further discuss the complex interplay between the material properties, processing parameters, substrate materials, device architectures, and performance of SNSPDs. We also highlight the latest progress in optimizing SNSPD performance parameters.
At the present time, ultrahigh performance superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors are the key elements in a variety of devices from biological research to quantum communications and computing. Accurate tuning of superconducting material properties is a powerful resource for fabricating single-photon detectors with desired properties. Here, we report on the major theoretical relations between ultrathin niobium nitride (NbN) film properties and superconducting nanowire single-photon detector characteristics, as well as the dependence of ultrathin NbN film properties on reactive magnetron sputtering recipes. Based on this study, we formulate the exact requirements for ultrathin NbN films for ultrahigh performance superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. Then, we experimentally studied the properties of ultrathin NbN films (morphology, crystalline structure, critical temperature, and sheet resistance) on silicon, sapphire, silicon dioxide, and silicon nitride substrates sputtered with various recipes. We demonstrate ultrathin NbN films (obtained with more than 100 films deposition) with a wide range of critical temperature from 2.5 to 12.1 K and sheet resistance from 285 to 2000 Ω/sq and report a sheet resistance evolution of more than 40% within two years. Finally, we found out that one should use ultrathin NbN films with a specific critical temperature near 9.5 K and a sheet resistance of about 350 Ω/sq for ultrahigh performance state-of-the-art superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors at 1550 nm wavelength.
Abstract We demonstrate and characterize superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors made from atomic layer-deposited (ALD) NbN layers. To assess the suitability of these films as a detector material, transport properties of bare films and bridges of different dimensions and thicknesses are investigated. Similar ratios of the measured critical current to the depairing current are obtained for micro-bridges made from ALD and sputtered NbN films. Furthermore, we characterized the single-photon response for 5 and 10 nm thick nanowire detectors. A 100 nm wide straight nanowire with a length of 5 μ m exhibits saturated count rate dependencies on bias current and a cut-off wavelength in the near-infrared range. The ALD technique could open up the possibility to fabricate NbN-based detectors on the wafer scale and to conformally cover also non-planar surfaces for novel device concepts.
High-quality ultrathin films of niobium nitride (NbN) are developed by the plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) technique. Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors patterned from this material exhibit high switching currents and saturated internal efficiencies over a broad bias range at a telecommunication wavelength of 1550 nm. Statistical analyses on hundreds of fabricated devices show a near-unity throughput yield due to the exceptional homogeneity of the films. The ALD-NbN material represents an ideal superconducting material for fabricating large single-photon detector arrays combining high efficiency, low jitter, and low dark counts.