Superconductive-channel electric field-effect drive

US5528052A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Johannes G. Bednorz · Adliswil, CH
• Jochen Mannhart · Eppelheim, DE
• Carl A. Mueller · Hedingen, CH
• Darrell G. Schlom · Thalwil, CH

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 22, 1993
• Grant date: Jun 18, 1996
• Expiry date: Dec 22, 2013

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10N60/207

Abstract

Proposed is a method for operating a field-effect device comprised of a superconducting current channel having source and drain electrodes connected thereto, said superconducting current channel being separated from a gate electrode by an insulating layer, where the resistance of said current channel is controlled by varying the critical current of the superconducting material through the application of an electrical field across the superconducting current channel, which in turn changes the density of the mobile charge carriers in the superconducting material. Taught is also an inverted MISFET device for performing that method, the device being characterized in that on an electrically conductive substrate an insulating layer is provided which in turn carries a layer consisting of a superconducting material, and that a gate electrode is attached to said substrate, and source and drain electrodes are electrically connected to said superconductor layer. Advantageously, between the substrate and the superconducting layer, a metallic passivation layer may be provided.