Niobium Nitride synthesis: Deposition of superconductive thin films via sputtering.

"With the increasing interest in the superconductivity field, particularly in its uses in advanced technologies such as quantum computing, particle accelerators and fast digital circuits, niobium nitride has been used as a low temperature superconductivity promising candidate for next-generation technologies. Our work focuses on the initial stage deposition of thin layers by cathodic reactive evaporation, also known as sputtering, exploring diverse parameters such as temperature, pressure, deposition time, nitrogen levels, etc. on the structural and superconductive properties of NbN. Despite the fact we have successfully grown 99.99% pure Niobium thin layers on silicon oxide substrates, under way efforts are focused on optimizing the process to synthetize Niobium Nitride with superconducting behavior. Ongoing experiments aim to collect information about superconductivity phase transition in this material, as challenges and strains in obtaining the expected results will be discussed. This research establishes the bases and foundation for future work on optimizing the deposition of superconducting thin films, which is essential for the integration of niobium nitride in cutting-edge applications like quantum computing and high-performance electronics. References: - Wong, M. S., Sproul, W. D., Chu, X., & Barnett, S. A. (1993). Reactive magnetron sputter deposition of niobium nitride films. Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, 11(4), 1528-1533. - Olaya, J. J., Huerta, L., Rodil, S. E., & Escamilla, R. (2008). Superconducting niobium nitride films deposited by unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Thin Solid Films, 516(23), 8768-8773. - Kim, S. K., Cha, B. C., & Yoo, J. S. (2004). Deposition of NbN thin films by DC magnetron sputtering process. Surface and Coatings Technology, 177, 434-440. - Ginzburg, V. L., Ginzburg, V. L., & Landau, L. D. (2009). On the theory of superconductivity (pp. 113-137). Springer Berlin Heidelberg"