EAGER: Quantum Manufacturing: Atomic-layer Etching Manufacturing Processes for High Performance Superconducting Quantum Devices

EAGER：量子制造：高性能超导量子器件的原子层蚀刻制造工艺

• 批准号: 2234390
• 负责人: Austin Minnich
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: California Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-02-01 至 2025-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2234390&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; Quantum; Manufacturing; Atomic; layer

This EArly-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) Quantum Manufacturing award supports research contributing new knowledge to a novel atomic-scale manufacturing process, promoting both the progress of science and advancing national prosperity. Quantum computers, sensors, and other devices harnessing the counter-intuitive effects of quantum mechanics are now of intense interest due to their potential applications in science and technology. However, new atomically precise manufacturing processes beyond those used for semiconductors are needed. Conventional semiconductor processing can result in decreased performance of quantum devices spurring the development of manufacturing approaches compatible with the materials and structures comprising quantum devices. This award supports fundamental research to provide needed knowledge for the development of atomic layer etching for quantum technology. Atomic layer etching has the potential to enable precise manufacturing on the atomic scale with precision beyond existing manufacturing methods. Such new processing techniques could lead to quantum devices that could perform significantly better than present devices, facilitating their eventual applications. Results of this research will benefit the U.S. economy and society through the further development of new technologies. This research involves several disciplines including manufacturing, plasma processing, microwave engineering, and materials science. The multi-disciplinary approach will help broaden participation of underrepresented groups in research and positively impact engineering education. Realizing the revolutionary potential of quantum devices based on superconducting circuits will require orders-of-magnitude improvements in coherence times and stability. The present limiting mechanisms of superconducting quantum hardware arise from surface imperfections introduced from traditional manufacturing methods of microfabricated systems. Atomic layer etching (ALE) is a novel manufacturing process with potential to overcome this long-standing challenge by enabling a subtractive manufacturing process with atomic monolayer precision and in-situ passivation capability. This project will develop ALE processes to engineer the surfaces of dielectric and metallic films used in superconducting quantum devices with potentially greatly improved precision, markedly reducing the negative effects of two-level systems (TLS). The outcome of this research will be a novel manufacturing process to realize superconducting quantum circuits for which surface imperfections are no longer the dominant contributor to decoherence and low frequency fluctuations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这项探索性研究（急切）量子制造奖的早期概念赠款支持研究为新颖的原子级制造过程贡献新知识，从而促进了科学的进步和促进国家繁荣。量子计算机，传感器和其他设备利用量子力学的违反直觉效果，由于其在科学和技术中的潜在应用，现在引起了人们的浓厚兴趣。但是，需要新的原子化制造工艺，而不是半导体使用的过程。常规的半导体处理可能会导致量子设备的性能下降，刺激了与构成量子设备的材料和结构兼容的制造方法的开发。该奖项支持基本研究，以提供所需的知识，以开发量子技术的原子层蚀刻。原子层蚀刻有可能在原子量表上以超出现有制造方法的精度来实现精确的制造。这种新的处理技术可能会导致量子设备可以比目前的设备高得多，从而促进其最终应用。这项研究的结果将通过进一步发展新技术来使美国经济和社会受益。这项研究涉及几个学科，包括制造，等离子体处理，微波工程和材料科学。多学科的方法将有助于扩大代表性不足的群体在研究中的参与，并积极影响工程教育。意识到基于超导电路的量子设备的革命性潜力将需要提高连贯时间和稳定性的阶级。超导量子硬件的当前限制机制是由传统制造方法引入的表面缺陷引起的。 原子层蚀刻（ALE）是一种新型的制造过程，具有通过原子单层精度和原位钝化能力实现减法制造过程来克服这一长期挑战的潜力。 该项目将开发啤酒工艺，以设计用于超导量子设备的介电和金属膜的表面，具有可能有所提高的精度，显着降低了两级系统（TLS）的负面影响。 这项研究的结果将是一个新型的制造过程，以实现超导量子电路，而量子电路不再是造成反谐波和低频波动的主要贡献者。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过使用评估的支持，基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响评论标准。

项目成果

Isotropic plasma-thermal atomic layer etching of aluminum nitride using SF6 plasma and Al(CH3)3

使用 SF6 等离子体和 Al(CH3)3 进行氮化铝各向同性等离子体热原子层蚀刻

• DOI: 10.1116/6.0002476
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A
• 影响因子: 2.9
• 作者: Wang, Haozhe;Hossain, Azmain;Catherall, David;Minnich, Austin J.
• 通讯作者: Minnich, Austin J.

Isotropic plasma-thermal atomic layer etching of superconducting titanium nitride films using sequential exposures of molecular oxygen and SF6/H2 plasma

使用分子氧和 SF6/H2 等离子体的连续暴露对超导氮化钛薄膜进行各向同性等离子体热原子层蚀刻

• DOI: 10.1116/6.0002965
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A
• 影响因子: 2.9
• 作者: Hossain, Azmain A.;Wang, Haozhe;Catherall, David S.;Leung, Martin;Knoops, Harm C.;Renzas, James R.;Minnich, Austin J.
• 通讯作者: Minnich, Austin J.