Germanium coated microbridge and method
OwnerJames C. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, with respect to an invention of Fletcher, Louis B. Holderman +1inventors
InventorsJames C. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, with respect to an invention of Fletcher, Louis B. Holderman, Palmer N. Peters
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Abstract
A superconducting microbridge is provided for use in superconducting quantum interference devices wherein a pair of spaced layers of superconductive material are connected by a weak link bridge to establish an electrical junction. The superconductive layers and bridge are coated with a semiconductor material shunting the bridge at room temperatures to prevent the destruction of the device by minute electrical currents while the coating acts as a dielectric permitting normal electrical behavior of the microbridge at cryogenic temperatures.
Claims9
A microbridge device for use in a superconductive quantum interference device comprising:
- a supporting substrate;
- a first element of superconductive material carried on said substrate;
- a second element of superconductive material carried on said substrate adjacent said first element defining a space therebetween;
- connecting means bridging said space and connecting said first and second elements to establish an electrical weak link therebetween;
- a coating of semiconductor material adjacent said first and second elements and said space electrically shunting said connecting means at room temperatures to prevent the destruction of said device by minute currents while acting as a dielectric permitting normal electrical behavior at cryogenic temperatures.
A method of protecting a weak link electrical device against destruction by minute currents at room temperature, the device having a supporting substrate, a pair of superconductive elements carried on said substrate with a finite space therebetween, and connecting means bridging said space and connecting said first and second superconductive element to establish a weak electrical link therebetween;
- said method comprising coating said fist and second superconductive elements with a semiconductor material which electrically shunts said connecting means at room temperature to prevent the destruction of said device by minute currents while acting as a dielectric and permitting normal electrical behavior of said device at cryogenic temperatures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.