English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is a promising technique for growing ultrathin,pristine dielectrics on metal substrates, which is essential to many electronicdevices. Tunnel junctions are an excellent example which require a leak-free,ultrathin dielectric tunnel barrier of typical thickness around 1 nm betweentwo metal electrodes. A challenge in the development of ultrathin dielectrictunnel barrier using ALD is controlling the nucleation of dielectrics on metalswith minimal formation of native oxides at the metal surface for high-qualityinterfaces between the tunnel barrier and metal electrodes. This poses acritical need for integrating ALD with ultra-high vacuum (UHV) physical vapordeposition. In order to address these challenges, a viscous-flow ALD chamberwas designed and interfaced to an UHV magnetron sputtering chamber via a loadlock. A sample transportation system was implemented for in situ sampletransfer between the ALD, load lock, and sputtering chambers. Using thisintegrated ALD-UHV sputtering system, superconductor-insulator-superconductor(SIS) Nb/Al/Al2O3/Nb Josephson tunnel junctions were fabricated with tunnelbarriers of thickness varied from sub-nm to ~ 1 nm. The suitability of using anAl wetting layer for initiation of the ALD Al2O3 tunnel barrier wasinvestigated with ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy, and electricaltransport measurements. With optimized processing conditions, leak-free SIStunnel junctions were obtained, demonstrating the viability of this integratedALD-UHV sputtering system for the fabrication of tunnel junctions and devicescomprised of metal-dielectric-metal multilayers.

Integrating Atomic Layer Deposition and Ultra-High Vacuum Physical Vapor Deposition for In Situ Fabrication of Tunnel Junctions