Molecular Beam Epitaxy of Transition Metal Nitrides for Superconducting Device Applications
Corresponding Author
D. Scott Katzer
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorNeeraj Nepal
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorMatthew T. Hardy
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorBrian P. Downey
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorDavid F. Storm
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorEric N. Jin
NRC Research Associateships Programs, 500 Fifth Street, Washington, DC, 20001 USA
Search for more papers by this authorRusen Yan
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Search for more papers by this authorGuru Khalsa
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Search for more papers by this authorJohn Wright
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Search for more papers by this authorAndrew C. Lang
American Society for Engineering Education, Projects Office, 1818 N. Street, Suite 600, Washington, DC, 20036 USA
Search for more papers by this authorTyler A. Growden
NRC Research Associateships Programs, 500 Fifth Street, Washington, DC, 20001 USA
Search for more papers by this authorVikrant Gokhale
NRC Research Associateships Programs, 500 Fifth Street, Washington, DC, 20001 USA
Search for more papers by this authorVirginia D. Wheeler
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorAlan R. Kramer
NRC Research Associateships Programs, 500 Fifth Street, Washington, DC, 20001 USA
Search for more papers by this authorJoan E. Yater
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorHuili Grace Xing
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Search for more papers by this authorDebdeep Jena
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Search for more papers by this authorDavid J. Meyer
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
D. Scott Katzer
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorNeeraj Nepal
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorMatthew T. Hardy
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorBrian P. Downey
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorDavid F. Storm
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorEric N. Jin
NRC Research Associateships Programs, 500 Fifth Street, Washington, DC, 20001 USA
Search for more papers by this authorRusen Yan
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Search for more papers by this authorGuru Khalsa
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Search for more papers by this authorJohn Wright
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Search for more papers by this authorAndrew C. Lang
American Society for Engineering Education, Projects Office, 1818 N. Street, Suite 600, Washington, DC, 20036 USA
Search for more papers by this authorTyler A. Growden
NRC Research Associateships Programs, 500 Fifth Street, Washington, DC, 20001 USA
Search for more papers by this authorVikrant Gokhale
NRC Research Associateships Programs, 500 Fifth Street, Washington, DC, 20001 USA
Search for more papers by this authorVirginia D. Wheeler
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorAlan R. Kramer
NRC Research Associateships Programs, 500 Fifth Street, Washington, DC, 20001 USA
Search for more papers by this authorJoan E. Yater
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorHuili Grace Xing
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Search for more papers by this authorDebdeep Jena
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 USA
Search for more papers by this authorDavid J. Meyer
Electronics Science and Technology Division, U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20375-5347 USA
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Epitaxial integration of superconductors with semiconductors is expected to enable new device architectures and to increase electronic circuit and system functionality and performance in diverse fields, including sensing and quantum computing. Herein, radiofrequency plasma molecular-beam epitaxy is used to epitaxially grow 3–200 nm-thick metallic NbNx and TaNx thin films on hexagonal SiC substrates. Single-phase cubic δ-NbN and hexagonal TaNx films are obtained when the starting substrate temperature is ≈800 and ≈900 °C, respectively, and the active N to Nb or Ta ratio is ≈2.5–3. The films are characterized using in-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction and ex-situ atomic force microscopy, contactless sheet resistance, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion-mass spectrometry, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, and low-temperature electrical measurements. Smooth, epitaxial, low-resistivity films of cubic δ-NbN and hexagonal TaNx on SiC are demonstrated for films at least ≈50 nm-thick, and their superconducting properties are reported. Epitaxy of AlN and GaN on δ-NbN is also demonstrated, as well as integration of an epitaxial NbNx superconducting electrode layer under GaN high-electron mobility transistors. These early demonstrations show the promise of direct epitaxial integration of superconducting transition metal nitrides with group III-N semiconductors.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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