Micromachines (Mar 2021)

Fabrication Process for Deep Submicron SQUID Circuits with Three Independent Niobium Layers

  • Silke Wolter,
  • Julian Linek,
  • Josepha Altmann,
  • Thomas Weimann,
  • Sylke Bechstein,
  • Reinhold Kleiner,
  • Jörn Beyer,
  • Dieter Koelle,
  • Oliver Kieler

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12040350
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 4
p. 350

Abstract

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We present a fabrication technology for nanoscale superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) with overdamped superconductor-normal metal-superconductor (SNS) trilayer Nb/HfTi/Nb Josephson junctions. A combination of electron-beam lithography with chemical-mechanical polishing and magnetron sputtering on thermally oxidized Si wafers is used to produce direct current SQUIDs with 100-nm-lateral dimensions for Nb lines and junctions. We extended the process from originally two to three independent Nb layers. This extension offers the possibility to realize superconducting vias to all Nb layers without the HfTi barrier, and hence to increase the density and complexity of circuit structures. We present results on the yield of this process and measurements of SQUID characteristics.

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