Superconducting nanowire single photon detector and method of fabrication thereof

US11441941B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• PsiQuantum Corp. · US

Inventors

• Chia-Jung Chung · Sunnyvale, US
• Faraz Najafi · Palo Alto, US
• George Kovall · Campbell, US
• Vitor R. Manfrinato · San Jose, US
• Vimal Kamineni · Mechanicville, US
• Mark Thompson · Palo Alto, US
• Syrus Ziai · Palo Alto, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 15, 2021
• Grant date: Sep 13, 2022
• Expiry date: Apr 15, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E40/60
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A superconductor device is manufactured by depositing a barrier layer over a substrate including silicon, the barrier layer including silicon and nitrogen; depositing a seed layer for a superconductor layer over the barrier layer, the seed layer including aluminum and nitrogen; depositing the superconductor layer over the seed layer, the superconductor layer including a layer of a superconductor material, the barrier layer serving as an oxidation barrier between the layer superconductor material and the substrate; and depositing a silicon cap layer over the superconductor layer. In some embodiments, the superconductor device includes a waveguide and a metal contact at a sufficient distance from the waveguide to prevent optical coupling between the metal contact and the waveguide.