Coated Or Thin Film Device (i.e., Active Or Passive) Patents (Class 505/701)
  • Patent number: 5496797
    Abstract: There is disclosed a superconducting microwave component including a first substrate having a conductor line formed of an oxide superconductor on the surface thereof, a second substrate having a grounding conductor formed of an oxide superconductor on the surface thereof, and a package of a conducting material housing the first and the second substrates so that they are substantially parallel with each other. At least one portion of the grounding conductor is in contact with the inside of the package, through surface contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1996
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenjiro Higaki, Hideo Itozaki
  • Patent number: 5494891
    Abstract: A superconducting device comprises a substrate, a non-superconducting layer formed in a principal surface of said substrate, an extremely thin superconducting channel formed of an oxide superconductor thin film on the non-superconducting layer. A superconducting source region and a superconducting drain region of a relatively thick thickness are formed of the oxide superconductor at the both sides of the superconducting channel separated from each other but electrically connected through the superconducting channel, so that a superconducting current can flow through the superconducting channel between the superconducting source region and the superconducting drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Nakamura, Michitomo Iiyama
  • Patent number: 5484764
    Abstract: A filter for an electromagnetic signal is formed of a set of planar resonators, preferably of superconductor material, interspersed among a set of electrically conductive sheets, outermost ones of the sheets serving as ground planes, and the inner ones of the sheets having irises for coupling electromagnetic power between the resonators. The resonators and the sheets have a planar shape, are parallel to each other, and are stacked one upon the other. Dielectric material insulates and serves to support the resonators and the sheets in their respective locations. There are at least two resonators in the set of resonators, and at least one inner sheet of the set of sheets. A first coupling element serves to couple an electromagnetic signal to a first resonator of filter to excite in the first resonator a first mode of electromagnetic vibration in a plane defined by the axis and a point of coupling of the first coupling element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: Space Systems/Loral, Inc.
    Inventors: Slawomir J. Fiediuszko, John A. Curtis
  • Patent number: 5472935
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to ferroelectric and superconducting thin films used in combination to produce low-loss passive microwave and millimeter wave devices which are frequency tuneable. Various metal oxide superconducting and ferroelectric thin films can be deposited in numerous multilayer geometries via a variety of deposition techniques to produce devices which can manipulate microwave and millimeter wave signals through the application of voltage bias signals across the ferroelectric films. Numerous superconducting microwave and millimeter wave devices, including delay lines, phase shifters, resonators, oscillators, filters, electrically-small antennas, half-loop antennas, directional couplers, patch antennas, and various radiative gratings, are made frequency-tuneable by utilizing voltage-tuneable capacitor structures fabricated from voltage-biased ferroelectric thin films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1995
    Inventors: Robert M. Yandrofski, John C. Price, Frank Barnes, Allen M. Hermann, James F. Scott
  • Patent number: 5468723
    Abstract: A superconducting device has a structure of superconductor--normal--conductor (semiconductor)--superconductor. The superconducting regions and the normal-conductor region can be made of the same elements but having different relative proportions of the elements. The device can be fabricated by introducing at least one element into an unmasked region of the superconductor to form a normal conductor region or into unmasked regions of the normal conductor to form superconductor regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshikazu Nishino, Haruhiro Hasegawa, Ushio Kawabe
  • Patent number: 5464812
    Abstract: A thin film of oxide superconductor consisting of more than two portions (10, 11, 12) each possessing a predetermined crystal orientation and deposited on a common surface of a substrate (2). At least one selected portion (10) of the thin film of oxide superconductor is deposited on a thin under-layer (4, 100) which facilitates crystal growth of the selected portion and which is deposited previously on the substrate. The selected portions (10) may consist of a-axis oriented thin film portions while non-selected portions (11, 12) may consists of c-axis oriented thin film portions. The thin under-layer can be a buffer layer (4) or a very thin film (100) of oxide superconductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inada, Michitomo Iiyama
  • Patent number: 5457087
    Abstract: A dielectric resonator apparatus for measuring the parameters of high temperature superconducting thin film is disclosed having improved means for positioning the dielectric and substrates, holding the resonator components in place during use, suppressing undesirable modes, adjusting the magnetic dipole coupling, and coupling to an electrical circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1995
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Robert G. Dorothy, Viet X. Nguyen, Zhi-Yuan Shen
  • Patent number: 5451567
    Abstract: The high power ferroelectric RF phase shifter contains a ferroelectric material in a microstrip line section. Between the ferroelectric phase shifter and the input, there is a ferroelectric matching transformer. Between the ferroelectric phase shifter and the output, there is a quarter wave ferroelectric matching transformer. A bias field is connected across the top and bottom surfaces of the ferroelectric material. When a bias field is applied across the ferroelectric material, the permittivity is reduced and as such the velocity of propagation is increased. This causes an increase in the effective electrical length of the phase shifter. Increasing the bias voltage increases the phase shift. The ferroelectric RF phase shifter may be constructed of a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC). The ferroelectric material is operated above its Curie temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Inventor: Satyendranath Das
  • Patent number: 5449659
    Abstract: A method for producing multilayer structures comprised of materials with incompatible processing parameters is disclosed. A bonding layer of arbitrary dielectric constant is applied to each of two substructures. Each substructure is composed of a substrate and at least one epitaxial crystalline layer. Examples of particular bonding materials used are polyimide, fluorocarbon polymers, other organic materials, and glass. The bonding material may be applied like photoresist, or sputtered, or applied in any appropriate manner consistent with the processing constraints of the crystalline materials. Structures formable in this way include superconductor-amorphous dielectric-superconductor and ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor trilayers, as well as microwave resonators and multichip modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1995
    Assignee: Conductus, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen M. Garrison, Randy W. Simon
  • Patent number: 5447906
    Abstract: Superconducting transition metal oxide films are provided which exhibit very high onsets of superconductivity and superconductivity at temperatures in excess of 40.degree. K. These films are produced by vapor deposition processes using pure metal sources for the metals in the superconducting compositions, where the metals include multi-valent nonmagnetic transition metals, rare earth elements and/or rare earth-like elements and alkaline earth elements. The substrate is exposed to oxygen during vapor deposition, and, after formation of the film, there is at least one annealing step in an oxygen ambient and slow cooling over several hours to room temperature. The substrates chosen are not critical as long as they are not adversely reactive with the superconducting oxide film. Transition metals include Cu, Ni, Ti and V, while the rare earth-like elements include Y, Sc and La. The alkaline earth elements include Ca, Ba and Sr.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Praveen Chaudhari, Richard J. Gambino, Roger H. Koch, James A. Lacey, Robert B. Laibowitz, Joseph M. Viggiano
  • Patent number: 5447908
    Abstract: An outer surface of a superconducting thin film of compound oxide such as YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-.delta. deposited on a substrate such as MgO and SrTiO.sub.3 is protected with a protective layer which is composed of amorphous inorganic material such as inorganic glass, amorphous oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Itozaki, Saburo Tanaka, Nobuhiko Fujita, Shuji Yazu, Tetsuji Jodai
  • Patent number: 5446015
    Abstract: For manufacturing a superconducting device, a first oxide superconductor thin film having a very thin thickness is formed on a principal surface of a substrate, and a stacked structure of a gate insulator and a gate electrode is formed on a portion of the first oxide superconductor thin film. A second oxide superconductor thin film is grown on an exposed surface of the first oxide superconductor thin film, using the gate electrode as a mask, so that first and second superconducting regions having a relatively thick thickness are formed at opposite sides of the gate electrode, electrically isolated from the gate electrode. A source electrode and a drain electrode are formed on the first and second oxide superconducting regions. The superconducting device thus formed can function as a super-FET.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Nakamura, Hiroshi Inada, Michitomo Iiyama
  • Patent number: 5438037
    Abstract: A method for depositing a thin film of a material on an oxide thin film having a perovskite type crystal structure formed on a substrate comprising steps of depositing a seed layer of a single crystal of the material having an extremely thin thickness at a relatively high substrate temperature on the oxide thin film having a perovskite type crystal structure and depositing a thin film of the material on the seed layer at a lower substrate temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: So Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5432149
    Abstract: A weak link is patterned from a high-temperature superconducting film using standard lithographic techniques. Once the area in which the weak link is to be located is defined, the remainder of the film is covered with an oxygen-impermeable material. The oxygen is then removed in the weak link area by placing the sample in a vacuum furnace at a sufficient temperature to drive out the oxygen. Once the oxygen is removed, the weak link becomes non-superconducting. A high power solid state laser is placed in front of the weak link, and superconductivity is restored in the weak link area, in situ. The process is performed in a liquid nitrogen environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignee: Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Ivan K. Schuller, Gladys L. Nieva, Julio J. Guimpel, Eduardo Osquiguil, Yvan Bruynseraede
  • Patent number: 5430011
    Abstract: A superconducting thin film formed on a substrate, comprising at least one oxide superconductor layer formed on the principal surface of said substrate and at least one oxide layer formed of an oxide which compensates for crystalline incompleteness at the surface of said oxide superconductor layer, and which is arranged on or under the superconducting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomi Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: So Tanaka, Michitomo Iiyama
  • Patent number: 5430014
    Abstract: c-axis oriented YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7 layers are grown with intervening SrTiO.sub.3 layers bridged over steps at which there is a transformation to a-axis crystal-oriented growth. The multilayer superconductor has YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7 layers which are not thicker than 500 nm while the intervening layers of SrTiO.sub.3 have thicknesses of 20 to 30 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignee: Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Soltner, Ulrich Poppe, Knut Urban
  • Patent number: 5428005
    Abstract: A superconducting thin film of compound oxide material deposited on a substrate, comprising a plurality of a-axis or b-axis oriented unit layers (2) and a plurality of c-axis oriented unit layers (1), each unit layer (1, 2) being made of the compound oxide material and being laminated alternately one over another on the substrate (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Matsuura, Keizo Harada, Hidenori Nakanishi, Hideo Itozaki
  • Patent number: 5422337
    Abstract: A Josephson junction device comprising a single crystalline substrate including a principal surface having two horizontal planes and a smooth slope between the two horizontal planes, and an oxide superconductor thin film formed on the principal surface of the substrate. The oxide superconductor thin film includes a first and a second superconducting portions of a single crystalline oxide superconductor respectively positioned on the two horizontal planes of the substrate, a junction portion of a single crystalline oxide superconductor having a different crystal orientation from the two superconducting portions positioned on the slope of the substrate and two grain boundaries between each of the two superconducting portions and the junction portion. The grain boundaries constitutes one weak link of the Josephson junction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries
    Inventors: Saburo Tanaka, Takashi Matsuura, Hideo Itozaki
  • Patent number: 5420103
    Abstract: A LnBaCuO-series superconducting thin film is provided over a surface of a substrate of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 single crystal to form a composite superconductor. Ln stands for Y or a lanthanoid element. The composite superconductor has an improved interfacial diffusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1995
    Assignee: International Superconductivity Technology Center
    Inventors: Akira Oishi, Tadataka Morishita
  • Patent number: 5420101
    Abstract: The invention relates to a structured superconductive track and a process for making it from epitaxial high temperature superconductor (HTSC) layers using lift off technique, in which a HTSC track deposited on an elevated substrate region is surrounded by an insulating layer of doped HTSC lying on a lower substrate region, and the substrate region with the superconductive track formed thereon is elevated such that the superconductive track is isolated from the insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1995
    Assignee: Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH
    Inventors: Carlo Copetti, Jurgen Schubert, Willi Zander, Christoph Buchal
  • Patent number: 5418215
    Abstract: c-axis oriented microwave quality HTSC films are deposited onto single crystals of gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with conditions of 85 mTorr of oxygen partial pressure, a block temperature of 730.degree. C., a substrate surface temperature of 790.degree. C. and a laser fluence of 1 to 2 Joules/cm.sub.2 at the target, a laser repetition rate of 10 Hz and a target to substrate distance of 7 cm and in which the a and b lattice parameters of the GGG exhibit a mismatch of less than 2.5 percent with the a and b lattice parameters of the HTSC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Arthur Tauber, Steven C. Tidrow
  • Patent number: 5416062
    Abstract: A thin film of oxide superconductor deposited on a single crystal substrate of silicon wafer. A buffer layer of (100) or (110) oriented Ln.sub.2 O.sub.3, in which Ln stands for Y or lanthanide elements is interposed between the thin film of oxide superconductor and the silicon wafer. A surface of silicon wafer is preferably cleaned satisfactorily by heat-treatment in vacuum before the buffer layer is deposited. An under-layer of metal oxide; ZrO.sub.2, YSZ or metal Y, Er is preferably interposed between the Ln.sub.2 O.sub.3 buffer layer and the silicon wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keizo Harada, Hidenori Nakanishi, Hideo Itozaki
  • Patent number: 5409889
    Abstract: The Ferroelectric high Tc superconductor RF Phase Shifter contains a ferroelectric medium and a film of a single crystal high Tc superconductor is used as the conductors. Between the ferroelectric medium and the input, there is a quarter-wave, dielectric or ferroelectric or the same material as used for the phase shifter, matching transformer. Between the ferroelectric medium and the output, there is a quarter-wave, dielectric, ferroelectric or the same material as used for the phase shifter, matching transformer. A bias field is connected across the top and bottom surfaces of the active ferroelectric medium. When a bias field is applied across the surfaces of the ferroelectric medium, the permittivity is reduced and as such the velocity of propagation is increased. This causes an increase in the effective electrical length of the phase shifter or a phase difference or time delay. Increasing the bias voltage increases the phase shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Inventor: Satyendranath Das
  • Patent number: 5408108
    Abstract: A superconducting device comprises a substrate having a principal surface and a non-superconducting oxide layer having a similar crystal structure to that of the oxide superconductor, which has a projection at its center portion. A superconducting source region and a superconducting drain region formed of an .alpha.-axis oriented oxide superconductor thin film are positioned at the both sides of the projection of the non-superconducting oxide layer separated from each other and an extremely thin superconducting channel formed of a c-axis oriented oxide superconductor thin film is positioned on the projection of the non-superconducting oxide layer. The superconducting channel electrically connects the superconducting source region to the superconducting drain region, so that superconducting current can flow through the superconducting channel between the superconducting source region and the superconducting drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Nakamura, Michitomo Iiyama, Hiroshi Inada
  • Patent number: 5407903
    Abstract: For manufacturing a superconducting device, a first c-axis orientated oxide superconductor thin film having a very thin thickness is formed on a principal surface of a substrate, and a stacked structure of a gate insulator and a gate electrode is formed on a portion of the first oxide superconductor thin film. An a-axis orientated oxide superconductor thin film is grown, using the gate electrode as a mask, so that second and third superconducting regions having a relatively thick thickness are formed at both sides of the gate electrode, electrically isolated from the gate electrode. The superconducting device thus formed can functions as a super-FET.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Nakamura, Hiroshi Inada, Michitomo Iiyama
  • Patent number: 5401714
    Abstract: A field-effect structure formed on a substrate and comprising a channel with source and drain as well as a gate that is separated from the channel by an insulating layer. The channel is made of a high T.sub.c metal-oxide superconductor, e.g., YBaCuO, having a carrier density of about 10.sup.21 /cm.sup.3 and a correlation length of about 0.2 nm. The channel thickness is preferrable in the order of 1 nm. The superconductor is preferably a single crystalline and oriented such that the superconducting behavior is strongest in the plane parallel to the substrate. With a signal of a few volts applied to the gate, the entire channel cross-section is depleted of charge carriers whereby the channel resistance can be switched between a "zero resistance" (undepleted, superconducting) state and "very high resistance" (depleted state).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Preveen Chaudhari, Carl A. Mueller, Hans P. Wolf
  • Patent number: 5399546
    Abstract: A superconducting device comprises a substrate, a non-superconducting layer formed in a principal surface of said substrate, an extremely thin superconducting channel formed of an oxide superconductor thin film on the non-superconducting layer. A superconducting source region and a superconducting drain region of a relatively thick thickness are formed of the oxide superconductor at the both sides of the superconducting channel separated from each other but electrically connected through the superconducting channel, so that a superconducting current can flow through the superconducting channel between the superconducting source region and the superconducting drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Nakamura, Michitomo Iiyama
  • Patent number: 5397769
    Abstract: A microwave resonator includes a superconducting signal conductor formed on a first dielectric substrate, and a superconducting ground conductor formed on a second dielectric substrate. The first dielectric substrate is stacked on the superconducting ground conductor of the second dielectric substrate. A temperature adjustable heater is mounted near to the second dielectric substrate, so that the resonating frequency .function..sub.o of the microwave resonator can be easily adjusted by controlling the temperature of the superconducting conductors by the adjustable heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenjiro Higaki, Akihiro Moto, Hideo Itozaki
  • Patent number: 5391543
    Abstract: A microwave resonator includes a superconducting signal conductor formed on a first dielectric substrate, and a superconducting ground conductor formed on a second dielectric substrate. The first dielectric substrate is stacked on the superconducting ground conductor of the second dielectric substrate. A rod is adjustably provided to be able to penetrate into an electromagnetic field created by a microwave propagation through the superconducting signal conductor, so that the resonating frequency .function..sub.0 of the microwave resonator can be easily adjusted by controlling the position of a tip end of the rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenjiro Higaki, Akihiro Moto, Hideo Itozaki
  • Patent number: 5389837
    Abstract: A NOR/inverter logic gate circuit and a flip flop circuit implemented with superconducting flux flow transistors (SFFTs). Both circuits comprise two SFFTs with feedback lines. They have extremely low power dissipation, very high switching speeds, and the ability to interface between Josephson junction superconductor circuits and conventional microelectronics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1995
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Vincent M. Hietala, Jon S. Martens, Thomas E. Zipperian
  • Patent number: 5385883
    Abstract: The present invention is a superconducting opto-electronic phase shifter which is achieved by illuminating a superconducting microstrip line, which is fabricated on a dielectric substrate, with an optical beam of a predetermined intensity and shape. Because the superconducting microstrip will exhibit a local surface resistance when and where illuminated, the microstrip line will be artificially narrowed thereby producing a phase shift. This occurs because as the width of a superconducting microstrip line narrows the velocity of the carder signal increases. Therefore, if the illumination of the superconducting microstrip line causes a local surface resistance, then the surface impedance of the microstrip line is increased causing the effective width of the microstrip line to decrease. Hence, the artificial decrease in the width of the microstrip will cause the phase of the carrier signal to shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1995
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Erik H. Lenzing, Charles D. Hechtman
  • Patent number: 5382565
    Abstract: This field-effect transistor comprises a conductive substrate (2) serving as the gate electrode, an insulating barrier layer (3), and a superconducting channel layer (1) on top of the barrier layer (3). The superconductor layer (1) carries a pair of mutually spaced electrodes (4, 5) forming source and drain, respectively. The substrate is provided with an appropriate gate contact (6).The substrate (2) consists of a material belonging to the same crystallographic family as the barrier layer (3). In a preferred embodiment, the substrate (2) is niobium-doped strontium titanate, the barrier layer (3) is undoped strontium titanate, and the superconductor (1) is a thin film of a material having a lattice constant at least approximately similar to the one of the materials of the substrate (2) and barrier (3) layers. A preferred material of this type is YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-.delta., where 0.ltoreq..delta..ltoreq.0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Johannes G. Bednorz, Jochen D. Mannhart, Carl A. Mueller
  • Patent number: 5379020
    Abstract: In the case of high-temperature superconductors (6) which are used as inductive current limiters, unless any special precautionary measure is taken, there is a risk that short-circuit currents can lead to local stress centers and hot spots, and to local destruction of the high-temperature superconductor. In order to avoid this, a hollow cylinder (SL) of the high-temperature superconductor (6) is coated with a 1 .mu.m thick conductive-silver layer (E1). A second 10 .mu.m thick metal layer of foil made of silver or aluminum can be deposited thereon. In order to reduce or to avoid tensile stresses in the ceramic of the hollow cylinder (SL) made of a high-temperature superconductor, and in order to reduce the electrical contact resistance of the metal layers, this hollow cylinder (SL) has a mechanical reinforcing element (7), made of an elastic steel wire, wound around it, at room temperature, under tensile stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Jurg Meier, Willi Paul
  • Patent number: 5376625
    Abstract: A thin film superconductor assembly is disclosed along with a method of fabricating same. The assembly comprises a self-supporting substrate defining at least a portion of a containment for a flow of cryogenic fluid, a dielectric layer adherent to a surface of the substrate, a thin film superconductor adherent to the dielectric layer and a moisture and oxygen impervious electrically insulating coating covering the thin film superconductor. A method of forming such thin film superconductor assembly, wherein the dielectric layer consists essentially of aluminum nitride, comprises growing the aluminum nitride dielectric layer integrally on the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: Robert C. McCune
  • Patent number: 5376569
    Abstract: This field-effect transistor comprises a conductive substrate (2) serving as the gate electrode, an insulating barrier layer (3), and a superconducting channel layer (1) on top of the barrier layer (3). The superconductor layer (1) carries a pair of mutually spaced electrodes (4, 5) forming source and drain, respectively. The substrate is provided with an appropriate gate contact (6).The substrate (2) consists of a material belonging to the same crystallographic family as the barrier layer (3). In a preferred embodiment, the substrate (2) is niobium-doped strontium titanate, the barrier layer (3) is undoped strontium titanate, and the superconductor (1) is a thin film of a material having a lattice constant at least approximately similar to the one of the materials of the substrate (2) and barrier (3) layers. A preferred material of this type is YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-.delta., where 0.ltoreq..delta..ltoreq.0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Johannes G. Bednorz, Jochen D. Mannhart, Carl A. Mueller
  • Patent number: 5376626
    Abstract: A superconducting switch is composed of anisotropic magnetic material. The switch has a first superconducting section, a variable resistive section and a second superconducting section. An external magnetic field is applied so that the first and second superconducting sections remain superconducting and the resistive section changes resistance when the magnetic field applied exceeds the critical field of the variable resistance section. The different critical field regions are achieved by exploiting the natural critical field anisotropy of the ceramic superconductors (a previously unobserved phenomena in metal superconductors). By making the different sections with different orientations they will exhibit different critical field valves for a given direction of applied fields. The state of the switch is changed by either increasing or decreasing the external magnetic field about the critical field value of the resistive section of the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Alvin J. Drehman, Stephen Bachowski
  • Patent number: 5374610
    Abstract: An insulating composition consisting of Bi, Sr, RE, Cu, O or of Tl, Ba, RE, Cu, O (wherein; RE is an element selected from a group consisting of Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu and Y) aligns properly with a crystal face of an oxide superconductor because its crystal structure is the same as or similar to that of the oxide superconductor. An insulating composition in which a part of Bi is replaced by Pb is further near the oxide superconductor its construction, and the modulation structure in this insulating composition is mitigated or disappears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Noburu Fukushima, Shunji Nomura, Hisashi Yoshino, Ken Ando, Hiromi Niu, Tomohisa Yamashita
  • Patent number: 5372992
    Abstract: A superconducting thin film of a compound oxide represented by YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.y in which "y" is a number of 6<y<8 and deposited on a substrate, characterized in that a buffer layer of a compound oxide represented by Y.sub.2 BaCuO.sub.x in which "x" is a number of 4<x<6 is interposed between the superconducting thin film and the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1994
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideo Itozaki, Kenjiro Higaki, Shuji Yazu
  • Patent number: 5364836
    Abstract: Disclosed is an article that comprises a superconductor-insulator (s-i) layer structure. The superconductor material has nominal composition Ba.sub.1-x M.sub.x BiO.sub.3-y (M is K, Rb, or K and Rb, 0.35<x.ltorsim.0.5, 0<y.ltorsim.0.25). In some preferred embodiments the insulator is a Ba- and Bi containing oxide, exemplarily BaBi.sub.2 O.sub.4, Ba.sub.1-x M.sub.x BiO.sub.3 (0.ltoreq.x<0.35), or Ba.sub.1-x Bi.sub.1+x O.sub.3 (0.ltoreq.x.ltorsim.0.5). In other embodiments the insulator is an insulating oxide with the NaCl structure (e.g., Mg.sub.1-x Ca.sub.x O), an insulating perovskite (e.g., BaZrO.sub.3 ), an insulator with the K.sub.2 NiF.sub.4 structure (e.g., Ba.sub.2 PbO.sub.4), an insulating fluoride with the BaF.sub.2 structure (e.g., Ba.sub.1-x Sr.sub.x F.sub.2), or an insulating fluoride with the NaCl structure (e.g., LiF). Disclosed are also advantageous methods of making an article according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1994
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Robert C. Dynes, Elliot H. Hartford, Jr., Eric S. Hellman, Andrew N. Pargellis, Fred Sharifi
  • Patent number: 5358927
    Abstract: A method, and the resulting structure, of growing a superconducting perovskite thin film of, for example YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x. A buffer layer of, for example, the perovskite PrBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-y, is grown on a crystalline (001) substrate under conditions which favor growth of a,b-axis oriented material. Then the YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x layer is deposited on the buffer layer under changed growth conditions that favor growth of c-axis oriented material on the substrate, for example, the substrate temperature is raised by 110.degree. C. However, the buffer layer acts as a template that forces the growth of a,b-axis YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x, which nonetheless shows a superconducting transition temperature near that of c-axis oriented films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Bell Communications Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Arun Inam, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Charles T. Rogers, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5358926
    Abstract: Novel articles are provided of thin super-conductive thallium-based copper oxide layers on inorganic, usually crystalline substrates. Novel methods are provided for ease of producing such articles, particularly involving sol-gel techniques and laser ablation. The articles have a highly oriented superconductive thallium-based copper oxide film, particularly epitaxial, with high superconductive transition temperatures and desirable electrical properties. The subject articles find use in a wide variety of electronic applications, particularly in microwave and millimeter wave devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Superconductor Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Olson, Michael M. Eddy, Robert B. Hammond, Timothy W. James, McDonald Robinson
  • Patent number: 5354732
    Abstract: An electrode in an electronic device using a functional thin film facilitates epitaxial growth during the functional material film-forming process and prevents the generation of cracks due to thermal stress. An oxide superconductor is using as an electrode material, thereby forming the crystal structure identical with the crystal structure of a functional thin film, and rendering their lattice constant and coefficient of thermal expansion close to the lattice constant and coefficient of thermal expansion functional thin film. According to the electrode material, high electric conductivity, low thermal conductivity and large thermal absorption coefficient characteristics can also be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tabata, Osamu Murata, Junzo Fujioka, Shunichi Minakata, Tomoji Kawai, Shichio Kawai
  • Patent number: 5352656
    Abstract: A method for applying a metal film barrier layer between a substrate and a superconductor coating or over a superconductivity coating using chemical vapor deposition in which low vapor pressure reactants are used, is disclosed, which comprises the steps of providing a substrate and a quantity of metal-bearing reagent and one or more reagents, placing the substrate within the furnace, introducing the metal-bearing reagent by a powder feeder means and then the reagents at different times into and reacting them in the furnace, resulting in the deposition first of a coating of metal onto the substrate and then of a coating consisting essentially of the superconducting reactant components onto the metal film; said reagents generally chosen to yield the group of oxide superconductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventors: Walter J. Lackey, John A. Hanigofsky, David N. Hill, Michael J. Shapiro, E. Kent Barefield, William B. Carter
  • Patent number: 5352978
    Abstract: An apparatus of sensing a magnetic field using a ceramic superconductor magneto-resistive element having a superconductor magneto resistive effect of non linear characteristic against the applied magnetic field, there is provided a coil for applying a bias magnetic field to the magneto-resistive element, the coil is connected to a feed back power source for supplying current for holding the output of the magneto-resistive element constant value, whereby the applied magnetic field is measured by the current supplied to the coil.There is disclosed also a device for sensing a magnetic field using a magneto-resistive element comprising a superconductor member having weak coupling grain boundaries, said device comprising means for applying A.C. bias magnetic field to said element, and means for taking out an output voltage of the element generated by application of the bias magnetic field as the signal representing the intensity of the applied magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1994
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideo Nojima, Hidetaka Shintaku, Masayoshi Koba
  • Patent number: 5350738
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a high quality oxide superconductor film capable of controlling the film-forming rate and the film composition easily and forming the superconductor film safely and economically, over a wide region and homogeneously, wherein each of elements of R in which R represents one or more of elements selected from the group consisting of Y and lanthanide series rare earth elements, Ba and Cu is vapor deposited in the state of metal on a substrate under a high vacuum of lower than 10.sup.-8 Torr by a vacuum vapor deposition process to form a precursor comprising an amorphous metal and the precursor is oxidized and crystallized by applying a heat treatment without taking out the same into the atmospheric air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1994
    Assignees: International Superconductivity Technology Center, Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho, Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Hase, Ryusuke Kita, Masato Sasaki, Tadataka Morishita
  • Patent number: 5348937
    Abstract: An article comprises an oriented thick film superconducting coating on a polycrystalline substrate. The coating includes at least two highly oriented platelet components ofBi.sub.a Sr.sub.b Ca.sub.c Cu.sub.d O.sub.x (BSCCO)wherein, in one component, a is 2, b is 2, c is 1, d is 2, and x is 8 and, in another component, a is 2, b is 2, c is 0, d is 1, and x is .apprxeq.6, oriented such that said BSCCO platelets are essentially parallel to said substrate. Suitable polycrystalline substrates are MgO and alumina and mullite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1994
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Louis E. Toth, J. Richard Spann
  • Patent number: 5345115
    Abstract: A superconducting interface circuit converting a signal sent from a normal conducting circuit into a small voltage swing signal suitable for a superconducting circuit includes a superconducting field effect device. The superconducting field effect device has a superconducting channel of an extremely thin oxide superconductor thin film, a superconducting source region and a superconducting drain region of an oxide superconductor thin film positioned at both ends of the superconducting channel, and a gate electrode on the superconducting channel through a gate insulator. The gate electrode of the super-FET is connected to a signal line which transmits a voltage signal from the normal conducting circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1994
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoki Tokuda, Michitomo Iiyama
  • Patent number: 5342828
    Abstract: A superconducting Tl--Pb--Sr--Ca--Cu--O thin film comprised of at least one phase of the formula Tl.sub.0.5 Pb.sub.0.5 Sr.sub.2 Ca.sub.1+n Cu.sub.2+n O.sub.7+2n where n=0, 1 or 2 is disclosed, which is prepared by a process comprising sputtering an oxide film onto a dielectric substrate from an oxide target containing preselected amounts of Tl, Pb, Sr, Ca and Cu, and heating an oxygen-containing atmosphere in the deposited film in the presence of a source of thallium oxide and lead oxide and cooling the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Dennis J. Kountz, Frank M. Pellicone
  • Patent number: 5342826
    Abstract: A Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system superconducting thin film formed on a substrate comprising [110] single crystals of an ABO.sub.3 type oxide having a perovskite structure, in which a (119) face is selectively grown relative to a substrate surface. The film is formed on the substrate by chemical vapor deposition process. A method of manufacturing a BiSrCaCuO system superconducting film in which an a-axis is oriented preferentially relative to the surface of a substrate comprising MgO (100) single crystals, wherein the chemical composition ratio (Sr+Ca+Cu)/Bi of the BiSrCaCuO system superconducting film is made not less than 3.5. A Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system superconducting thin film formed on a substrate comprising MgO [110] single crystals, in which a (110) face is selectively grown to the substrate surface. The film is formed on the substrate by a chemical vapor deposition process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Assignees: International Superconductivity Technology center, Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., Sharp Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Kubota, Tsunemi Sugimoto, Kazushi Sugawara, Yuh Shiohara
  • Patent number: 5340799
    Abstract: Rare-earth alkaline metal titanates are used as buffer layers substrates, and oxygen diffusion barriers for the growth of high critical temperature superconductors, ferroelectrics, pyroelectrics and piezoelectrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Arthur Tauber, Steven C. Tidrow