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arXiv · 0711.2221

Epitaxial aluminium-nitride tunnel barriers grown by nitridation with a plasma source

T. Zijlstra·C. F. J. Lodewijk·N. Vercruyssen·F. D. Tichelaar·D. N. Loudkov·T. M. Klapwijk
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Abstract

High critical current-density (10 to 420 kA/cm^2) superconductor-insulator-superconductor tunnel junctions with aluminium nitride barriers have been realized using a remote nitrogen plasma from an inductively coupled plasma source operated in a pressure range of 10^{-3} to 10^{-1} mbar. We find a much better reproducibility and control compared to previous work. From the current-voltage characteristics and cross-sectional TEM images it is inferred that, compared to the commonly used AlO_x barriers, the poly-crystalline AlN barriers are much more uniform in transmissivity, leading to a better quality at high critical current-densities.

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T. Zijlstra, C. F. J. Lodewijk, N. Vercruyssen, F. D. Tichelaar, D. N. Loudkov, T. M. Klapwijk. 2007-11-14. Epitaxial aluminium-nitride tunnel barriers grown by nitridation with a plasma source. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2819532

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