IP Library Granted Patent US 11,910,730
Granted Patent B2
US 11,910,730 · App. 17/390,684 · Granted Feb 20, 2024

Josephson junction, Josephson junction preparation method and apparatus, and superconducting circuit

Inventors: Xiaohang Zhang (Hangzhou, CN); Wenlong Yu (Hangzhou, CN); Hsiang-Sheng Ku (Hangzhou, CN); Jingwei Zhou (Hangzhou, CN)
Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Limited
H10N60/805H10N60/0912H10N60/12H10N60/85
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,910,730
App. No.
17/390,684
Granted
Feb 20, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A superconducting circuit having a Josephson junction includes a first electrode layer for signal transmission; a second electrode layer for signal transmission; and an insulating layer arranged between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer to form a Josephson junction, wherein, the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are composed of a preset material, the insulating layer is composed of a compound corresponding to the preset material, and the preset material includes a non-aluminum superconducting material to prolong a coherence time of superconducting qubits.

Claims (72)

1. A superconducting circuit having a Josephson junction, the superconducting circuit comprising:

a preset substrate;

a first electrode layer for signal transmission;

a second electrode layer for signal transmission; and

an insulating layer arranged between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer to form the Josephson junction,

wherein, the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are composed of a preset material, the insulating layer is composed of a compound corresponding to the preset material, and the preset material comprises a non-aluminum superconducting material, and

wherein the first electrode layer is disposed on the preset substrate, the insulating layer is disposed on the first electrode layer, and the second electrode layer is a continuous bridge structure comprising:

a first end disposed on the insulating layer,

a second end disposed on the preset substrate, and

a middle sub-electrode between the first and send ends, the middle sub-electrode being disposed over and forming an air gap from the preset substrate.

2. The superconducting circuit of claim 1 , wherein the non-aluminum superconducting material comprises tantalum, and the compound corresponding to the preset material comprises tantalum oxide.

3. The superconducting circuit of claim 1 , wherein the non-aluminum superconducting material comprises molybdenum, and the compound corresponding to the preset material comprises molybdenum oxide.

4. The superconducting circuit of claim 1 , wherein the non-aluminum superconducting material comprises vanadium, and the compound corresponding to the preset material comprises vanadium oxide.

5. A method for Josephson junction preparation, comprising:

acquiring a substrate structure; and

forming a first electrode layer on the substrate structure, forming an insulating layer on the first electrode layer, and forming a second electrode layer on the insulating layer, wherein the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are composed of a preset material, the insulating layer is composed of a compound corresponding to the preset material, and the preset material comprises a non-aluminum superconducting material to prolong a coherence time of superconducting qubits, and wherein:

an arrangement of the insulating layer between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer forms a Josephson junction, and

forming the second electrode layer on the insulating layer comprises forming a continuous bridge structure comprising:

a first end on the insulating layer,

a second end on the substrate structure, and

a middle sub-electrode between the first and send ends, the middle sub-electrode being disposed over and forming an air gap from the substrate structure.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the non-aluminum superconducting material and the compound corresponding to the preset material are selected from a group consisting of:

the non-aluminum superconducting material comprises tantalum, and the compound corresponding to the preset material comprises tantalum oxide;

the non-aluminum superconducting material comprises molybdenum, and the compound corresponding to the preset material comprises molybdenum oxide; or

the non-aluminum superconducting material comprises vanadium, and the compound corresponding to the preset material comprises vanadium oxide.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein forming the first electrode layer on the substrate structure comprises:

acquiring a first mask for generating the first electrode layer; and

forming the first electrode layer on the substrate structure through the first mask.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein forming the insulating layer on the first electrode layer comprises:

oxidizing at least a part of the first electrode layer to obtain a sacrificial oxide layer;

removing at least a part of the sacrificial oxide layer to obtain a pre-processed electrode layer corresponding to the first electrode layer; and

oxidizing at least a part of the pre-processed electrode layer to form the insulating layer.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein removing at least a part of the sacrificial oxide layer to obtain the pre-processed electrode layer corresponding to the first electrode layer comprises:

cleaning at least a part of the sacrificial oxide layer using a cleaning solution to obtain the pre-processed electrode layer.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein forming the second electrode layer on the insulating layer comprises:

forming a thin film structure on at least a part of the substrate structure, wherein the thin film structure comprises a bottom layer structure and a top layer structure composed of the preset material, and an intermediate layer structure arranged between the bottom layer structure and the top layer structure, and wherein the intermediate layer structure is composed of a compound corresponding to the preset material; and

etching at least a part of the thin film structure to obtain a part of the second electrode layer.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second electrode layer comprises a first sub-electrode portion, and etching the thin film structure to obtain the part of the second electrode layer comprises:

acquiring a second mask for generating a first sub-electrode portion; and

etching the at least a part of the thin film structure based on the second mask to obtain the first sub-electrode portion.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first sub-electrode portion forms a part of the top layer structure.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein after the first sub-electrode portion is obtained, the method further comprises:

acquiring a third mask;

etching at least the intermediate layer structure and the bottom layer structure of the thin film structure based on the third mask to obtain a segmented area located on one side of the first sub-electrode portion; and

generating a second sub-electrode portion connected to the first sub-electrode portion based on the segmented area, wherein the second sub-electrode portion and the first sub- electrode portion are used for forming the second electrode layer, and the second electrode layer is a bridge structure with a first end arranged on the insulating layer and a second end arranged on the substrate structure.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein generating the second sub- electrode portion connected to the first sub-electrode portion based on the segmented area comprises:

forming a preset sacrificial layer on the segmented area;

etching the preset sacrificial layer into a preset pattern;

forming a top wiring layer on the preset pattern; and

etching the top wiring layer to generate the second sub-electrode portion.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein after the second sub-electrode portion is generated, the method further comprises:

cleaning the preset sacrificial layer using a cleaning solution to obtain the second electrode layer.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cleaning solution comprises a hydrofluoric acid solution.

17. A superconducting circuit, comprising:

a Josephson junction used as a nonlinear inductance element, wherein the Josephson junction is generated by a method, the method comprising:

acquiring a substrate structure; and

forming a first electrode layer on the substrate structure, forming an insulating layer on the first electrode layer, and forming a second electrode layer on the insulating layer, wherein the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are composed of a preset material, the insulating layer is composed of a compound corresponding to the preset material, and the preset material comprises a non-aluminum superconducting material to prolong a coherence time of superconducting qubits, and wherein:

an arrangement of the insulating layer between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer forms the Josephson junction, and

forming the second electrode layer on the insulating layer comprises forming a continuous bridge structure comprising:

a first end formed on the insulating layer,

a second end formed on the substrate structure, and

a middle sub-electrode between the first and send ends, the middle sub-electrode being disposed over and forming an air gap from the substrate structure.

18. A device comprising a superconducting circuit, the superconducting circuit comprising a Josephson junction, and the Josephson junction comprising:

a preset substrate;

a first electrode layer for signal transmission;

a second electrode layer for signal transmission; and

an insulating layer arranged between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer to form the Josephson junction,

wherein, the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are composed of a preset material, the insulating layer is composed of a compound corresponding to the preset material, and the preset material comprises a non-aluminum superconducting material, and

wherein the first electrode layer is disposed on the preset substrate, the insulating layer is disposed on the first electrode layer, and the second electrode layer is a continuous bridge structure comprising:

a first end disposed on the insulating layer,

a second end arranged disposed on the preset substrate, and

a middle sub-electrode between the first and send ends, the middle sub-electrode being disposed over and forming an air gap from the preset substrate.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 7, 2026
From: ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LIMITED
To: Z-AXIS PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 075934/0205 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2021
From: ZHOU, JINGWEI
To: ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LIMITED
Reel/Frame 058160/0786 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 7, 2021
From: ZHANG, XIAOHANG; YU, WENLONG; KU, HSIANG-SHENG; ZHOU, JINGWEI
To: ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LIMITED
Reel/Frame 057724/0864 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 202010783265.9 · Aug 6, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220045259A1 · Feb 10, 2022
Cited By (2)
US 12,581,870 US 12,604,673