Patent Application
20050143263
This invention relates to high temperature superconductor (HTS) mini-filters comprised of self-resonant spiral resonators and HTS coils and the improvement in the process yield of such mini-filters and coils when they are produced using high temperature superconductor films deposited on a layer of CeO2 on a substrate.
HTS filters have many applications in telecommunication, instrumentation and military equipment. The HTS filters have the advantages of extremely low in-band insertion loss, high off-band rejection and steep skirts due to the extremely low loss in the HTS materials. In one design, the HTS filters are comprised of spiral resonators that are large in size. In fact, at least one dimension of the resonator is equal to approximately a half wavelength. For low frequency HTS filters with many poles, the regular design requires a very large substrate area. The use of self-resonant spiral resonators to reduce the size of the HTS filters and solve cross-talk and connection problems reduces the size of the substrate area required. Nevertheless, the substrates of thin film HTS circuits are special single crystal dielectric materials that have a high cost. The HTS thin film coated substrates are even more costly. The mini-filter design must then be created on the HTS film typically using photoresist and ion etching techniques. The final cost is significant and it is commercially important to have a high yield of mini-filters that meet specifications.
HTS coils have applications as transmit, receive, and transmit and receive coils for electromagnetic signals. Producing these HTS coils requires the same steps that are used in producing the HTS filters. The related costs are also similar so that it is important to have a high yield of HTS coils that meet specifications.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,394 discloses a ceramic superconductor comprising a metal oxide substrate, a ceramic high temperature superconductive material, and an intermediate layer of a material having a cubic crystal structure. There nevertheless remains a need for a process for producing in high yield mini-filters and coils that meet required specifications, and the mini-filters and coils so produced.
An object of the present invention is to therefore provide a process for producing in high yield mini-filters and coils that meet required specifications.
This invention provides a high temperature superconductor mini-filter comprised of at least two self-resonant spiral resonators, each of the spiral resonators independently comprising a high temperature superconductor line oriented in a spiral fashion, or a high temperature superconductor self-resonant planar coil comprised of a high temperature superconductor line oriented in a spiral fashion; and provides a process for the production of such HTS devices.
The process involves depositing an epitaxial layer of CeO2 on a single crystal substrate, and forming an epitaxial high temperature superconducting film on the CeO2 layer. The process also involves a step of forming from the HTS film one or more superconductor lines oriented in a spiral fashion. In one embodiment, the process involves:
Preferably, the epitaxial layer of CeO2 is deposited by sputter deposition while the substrate temperature is elevated. Preferably, the high temperature superconductor is etched away in step (f) using an argon beam and the remaining photoresist is removed in step (g) using oxygen plasma.
Preferably, an epitaxial layer of CeO2 is deposited on both sides of the substrate and an epitaxial high temperature superconducting film is formed on the CeO2 layer on both sides of the substrate. When producing a mini-filter, the high temperature superconducting film on the front side of the substrate is subsequently patterned as described above in steps (c)-(g) and the high temperature superconducting film on the back side of the substrate is used as a ground plane. The ground plane may be unpatterned or patterned. When there are superconducting layers on both sides of the substrate, both sides are coated with photoresist in step (c) above and in step (g) the remaining-photoresist on the front side and the photoresist on the back side are removed. The high temperature superconducting film on the back side is coated with a conductive film such as gold to provide good ground contact. When producing a coil, the high temperature superconducting film on the front side of the substrate and on the back side of the substrate is subsequently patterned as described above in steps (c)-(g). Both sides are coated with photoresist in step (c) and in step (g) the remaining photoresist is removed.
Preferably, the substrate is selected from the group consisting of LaAlO3, MgO and Al2O3.
This invention also provides a high temperature superconductor mini-filter comprising at least two self-resonant spiral resonators, each of the spiral resonators independently comprising a high temperature superconductor line oriented in a spiral fashion such that adjacent lines of the spiral resonator are spaced from each other by a gap distance and so as to provide a central opening within the spiral resonator, wherein the at least two spiral resonators are in intimate contact with an epitaxial layer of CeO2 that is on a single crystal substrate. In a further embodiment, the single crystal substrate may be selected from the group consisting of LaAlO3, MgO and Al2O3.
In addition, this invention provides a high temperature superconductor self-resonant planar coil comprising a high temperature superconductor line oriented in a spiral fashion such that adjacent lines of the coil are spaced from each other by a gap distance and so as to provide a central opening within the coil, wherein the coil is in intimate contact with an epitaxial layer of CeO2 that is on a single crystal substrate. In a further embodiment, the single crystal substrate may be selected from the group consisting of LaAlO3, MgO and Al2O3.
This invention also provides a high temperature superconductor mini-filter comprising:
This invention also provides a high temperature superconductor mini-filter having a strip line form with all the features of the mini-filter described above and further comprising:
This invention also provides a high temperature superconductor self-resonant planar coil comprising:
This invention also provides a high temperature superconductor self-resonant planar coil comprising:
The high temperature superconductor used to form the high temperature superconductor line for all of the at least two improved self-resonant spiral resonators, for the high temperature superconductor films and for the high temperature superconductor coils is preferably selected from the group consisting of YBa2Cu3O7, Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8, TlBa2Ca2Cu3O9, (TlPb)Sr2CaCu2O7 and (TlPb)Sr2Ca2Cu3O9. Most preferably, the high temperature superconductor is Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 or YBa2Cu3O7.
The conductive films disposed on the surfaces of the high temperature superconductor ground plane films in the mini-filters described above can serve as contacts to the cases of the mini-filters. Preferably, these conductive films are gold films.
This invention provides a process for producing high temperature superconductor mini-filters or coils with high yield without concern for variations in substrates from batch to batch or from different suppliers. The deposition of an epitaxial buffer layer of CeO2 on the substrate before the formation of the high temperature superconductor layer and the making of the mini-filter or coil will have different effects on the mini-filter or coil yield depending on the nature of the substrate. However, the routine use of the CeO2 buffer layer reduces the uncertainty in the mini-filter or coil yield and provides consistently high mini-filter or coil yield. The use of a CeO2 buffer layer will have similar beneficial advantages when producing other high temperature superconductor devices.
As used herein, “yield” means the percentage of the mini-filters or coils produced with acceptable performance characteristics.
The single crystal substrate is preferably selected from the group consisting of LaAlO3, MgO and Al2O3 and LaAlO3 is especially preferred. The surface of the substrate on which the epitaxial buffer layer of CeO2 is to be deposited should be clean and polished. The epitaxial CeO2 layer can be deposited by various known methods but off-axis sputter deposition is preferred and the substrate temperature should be elevated, i.e., about 600-900° C., preferably about 700-800° C., during the deposition.
The high temperature superconductor used to form the HTS lines for all of the self-resonant spiral resonators is preferably selected from the group consisting of YBa2Cu3O7, Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8, TlBa2Ca2Cu3O9, (TlPb)Sr2CaCu2O7 and (TlPb)Sr2Ca2Cu3O9. Most preferably, the high temperature superconductor is Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 or YBa2Cu3O7. Various methods are known for depositing each of these high temperature superconductors and any of these methods that result in an epitaxial layer of the HTS on the CeO2 layer can be used.
The use of photoresists to produce patterned elements is well known in the electronics industry and these standard methods can be used to make the patterned mini-filter or coil configuration from the unpatterned HTS layer. Preferably, the HTS to be removed is etched away using an argon beam and the photoresist covering the HTS filter or coil is removed using oxygen plasma.
The high temperature superconductor mini-filter made by this process is comprised of at least two self-resonant spiral resonators, each of the spiral resonators independently comprising a high temperature superconductor line oriented in a spiral fashion such that adjacent lines of the spiral resonator are spaced from each other by a gap distance and so as to provide a central opening within the spiral resonator. Preferably, the gap distance is less than the width of the high temperature superconductor line and the dimensions of the central opening are approximately equal to the gap distance. A conductive tuning pad may be placed in the central opening to fine tune the frequency of the spiral resonator. This tuning pad can be a high temperature superconductor.
Preferably, all the self-resonant spiral resonators in a mini-filter have an identical shape, i.e., rectangular, rectangular with rounded corners, polygonal with more than four sides or circular.
The input and output coupling circuits of the mini-filter have two basic configurations:
The inter-resonator couplings between adjacent spiral resonators in the mini-filter are provided by the overlapping of the electromagnetic fields at the edges of the adjacent spiral resonators. In addition, HTS lines can be provided between the spiral resonators to increase coupling and adjust the frequency of the mini-filter.
The mini-filters of this invention can be in the microstrip line form with one substrate and one ground plane; they also can be in the strip line form with a substrate, a superstrate and two ground planes.
As the number of self-resonant spiral resonators in the mini-filter increases, the difficulty of obtaining high yields of mini-filters also increases and the advantage of using the process of this invention to produce the mini-filters increases.
The use of a CeO2 buffer layer will have similar beneficial advantages when producing high temperature superconductor self-resonant planar coils. The planar coil, i.e., surface coil, can have a HTS coil configuration on just one side of the substrate or essentially identical HTS coil configurations on both sides of the substrate. The coil configuration is comprised of a high temperature superconductor line oriented in a spiral fashion. Adjacent lines of the spiral are spaced from each other by a gap distance and provide a central opening within the spiral. The width of the HTS line can be uniform or can vary along the length of the spiral. Similarly, the gap distance can be uniform or can vary along the length of the spiral.
An HTS mini-filter according to this invention may be used in a variety of electronic devices such as a cryogenic receiver front end. An HTS coil according to this invention may also be used in a variety of electronic devices such as a nuclear quadrupole resonance (“NQR”) detection system. An NQR detection system can be used to detect the presence of chemical compounds for any purpose, but is particularly useful for detecting the presence of controlled substances such as explosives, drugs or contraband of any kind. Such an NQR detection system could be usefully incorporated into a safety system, a security system, or a law enforcement screening system. For example, these systems can be used to scan persons and their clothing, carry-on articles, luggage, cargo, mail and/or vehicles. They can also be used to monitor quality control, to monitor air or water quality, and to detect biological materials.
This example in which seventeen 8-pole mini-filters, each with the design shown in
A clean, polished single crystal LaAlO3 substrate was obtained from MTI Corporation, Richmond, Calif. An epitaxial CeO2 buffer layer was grown on both sides of the substrate by off-axis sputter deposition with the substrate temperature held in the range of about 700-800° C.
Off-axis magnetron sputtering of a Ba:Ca:Cu oxide target was used to deposit, at room temperature (about 20° C.), an amorphous precursor Ba:Ca:Cu oxide film onto the CeO2 layer on both sides of the substrate. This amorphous precursor Ba:Ca:Cu oxide film was about 550 nm thick and had a stoichiometry of about 2:1:2. The precursor film was then thallinated by annealing it in air for about 45 minutes at about 850° C. in the presence of a powder mixture of Tl2Ba2Ca2Cu3O10 and Tl2O3. When this powder mixture is heated, Tl2O evolves from the powder mixture, diffuses to the precursor film and reacts with it to form the desired Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 phase. Standard X-ray diffraction measurements show that the Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 film has an in-plane alignment which is determined by the underlying CeO2 buffer layer with the [100] crystal axis of the Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 film rotated by 45° with respect to the [100] crystal axis of the CeO2 buffer layer.
The Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 film surface was then cleaned using an argon ion beam. A gold film was evaporated onto and completely covered the unpatterned Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 film on the back side of the substrate. Gold contact pads were evaporated through a shadow mask onto the front side Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 film surface. The sample was then coated with photoresist on both sides and baked. A filter design photomask containing the design for three mini-filters, each with the design shown in
17 mini-filters prepared as described above were obtained for analysis. S11 is the magnitude of the reflection coefficient from the input port. S11 is an important parameter for practical applications of these mini-filters and is used here to characterize the mini-filters produced. S11 outside the band-pass region is nearly 1, i.e., about 0 dB. S11 in the band-pass region should be as small as possible. S11 was measured for each of the 17 mini-filters. The percentage of mini-filters with an S11 in the band-pass region between 0 and −10 dB, between −10 db and −12 dB, between −12 db and −15 dB, between −15 dB and −20 dB and smaller than −20 dB are shown in
A comparative experiment was carried out preparing the mini-filters essentially as described above except for the omission of the deposition of the CeO2 layer. 29 mini-filters were obtained for analysis. The percentage of mini-filters with an S11 in the band-pass region between 0 and −10 dB, between −10 db and −12 dB, between −12 db and −15 dB, between −15 dB and −20 dB and smaller than −20 dB are shown in
Where an apparatus or method of this invention is stated or described as comprising, including, containing, having, being composed of or being constituted by certain components or steps, it is to be understood, unless the statement or description explicitly provides to the contrary, that one or more components or steps other than those explicitly stated or described may be present in the apparatus or method. In an alternative embodiment, however, the apparatus or method of this invention may be stated or described as consisting essentially of certain components or steps, in which embodiment components or steps that would materially alter the principle of operation or the distinguishing characteristics of the apparatus or method would not be present therein. In a further alternative embodiment, the apparatus or method of this invention may be stated or described as consisting of certain components or steps, in which embodiment components or steps other than those as stated would not be present therein.
Where the indefinite article “a” or “an” is used with respect to a statement or description of the presence of a component in an apparatus, or a step in a method, of this invention, it is to be understood, unless the statement or description explicitly provides to the contrary, that the use of such indefinite article does not limit the presence of the component in the apparatus, or of the step in the method, to one in number.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/496,849, filed Aug. 21, 2003, which is incorporated in its entirety as a part hereof for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60496849 | Aug 2003 | US |
