Abstract
The fabrication of thin-film Nb tunnel junctions is described. The main emphasis is on improvement of the tunneling characteristics through studies of the conditions influencing the formation of the tunnel barrier. In situ ellipsometric measurements have been made during growth of the tunnel oxide on the base electrode of the junctions in an rf plasma. The results are compared with electrical measurements on completed junctions. Two additional processes are found to have an important influence on the junction characteristics: precleaning of the base electrode in an Ar plasma before oxidation and a further treatment of the grown oxide in a low-voltage, high-pressure plasma. At the present time, the most effective gas for this process is N2. Data on annealing, storage effects, and thermal cycling are discussed. Finally, the results obtained on arrays of 80 two-junction interferometers are found to be rather encouraging for the design and construction of high-density memory arrays.
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