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US 9,882,113 B1Granted
Gallium beam lithography for superconductive structure formation
AssigneeNational Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
InventorsMichael David Henry, Rupert M. Lewis
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Abstract
The present invention relates to the use of gallium beam lithography to form superconductive structures. Generally, the method includes exposing a surface to gallium to form an implanted region and then removing material adjacent to and/or below that implanted region. In particular embodiments, the methods herein provide microstructures and nanostructures in any useful substrate, such as those including niobium, tantalum, tungsten, or titanium.
Claims17
A method comprising:
- exposing a region of a surface of a substrate with a focused ion beam of gallium so as to define an implanted region, wherein the implanted region comprises a superconductive region of niobium, tantalum, tungsten, and/or titanium nitride;
- and
- removing material from regions laterally adjacent to and below the implanted superconductive region by subtractive etching, the subtractive etching being a two-phase process including
- a first phase of anisotropic etching for removing non-implanted material laterally adjacent to the implanted superconductive region to define a superconductive structure;
- and
- a second phase of isotropic etching for removing non-implanted material below the implanted superconductive region, thereby releasing the superconductive structure so as to be held in suspension over the substrate.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.