Superconducting integrated circuit technology using iron-arsenic compounds
AssigneeHypres, Inc.
InventorAlan M. Kadin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A new family of superconducting materials with critical temperature up to 55 K have recently been discovered, comprising a crystal structure with atomic layers of iron and arsenic alternating with atomic layers of rare-earth oxide or alkaline earth. The present invention identifies structures for integrated circuit elements (including Josephson junctions) in these and related materials. These superconducting circuit elements will operate at a higher temperature than low-temperature superconductors such as niobium, and may be easier to manufacture than prior-art high-temperature superconductors based on copper-oxides.
Claims16
A Josephson junction superconducting device, comprising a first superconducting layer, a second superconducting layer, and an intermediate layer which weakly couples a superconductivity between the first and second layers, wherein at least one of the superconducting layers is an Iron-based high temperature superconductor.
A method for forming a superconducting device on a substrate, comprising:
- 1) depositing a lower interconnect layer on a substrate surface;
- 2) depositing and pattering a superconductor-barrier-superconductor Josephson junction trilayer, wherein at least one of the superconductor layers of the Josephson junction trilayer is an iron-based superconductor;
- 3) depositing and pattering a lower insulator layer;
- and
- 4) depositing an upper interconnect layer.
A method for producing an Fe-based superconducting thin film on a substrate, wherein sputtering of a solid target is used in combination with at least one reactive gas;
- wherein the Fe-based superconducting thin film comprises a volatile constituent as a necessary component, further comprising heating the substrate to a temperature which causes a volatilization of the volatile constituent, and surrounding the heated substrate with an atmosphere containing a sufficient amount of volatile constituent to maintain a superconducting nature of the Fe-based superconducting thin film, and the volatile constituent comprises As.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.