Superconducting tunnel-junction x-ray detectors with niobium absorbers and aluminum quasi-particle traps

Simon E. Labov; Carl A. Mears; George W. Morris; Charles E. Cunningham; Mark A. LeGros; Eric H. Silver; Andrew T. Barfknecht; Norman W. Madden; Don A. Landis; Fred S. Goulding; Roger W. Bland; Kenneth E. Laws

doi:10.1117/12.130694

8 October 1992 Superconducting tunnel-junction x-ray detectors with niobium absorbers and aluminum quasi-particle traps

Simon E. Labov, Carl A. Mears, George W. Morris, Charles E. Cunningham, Mark A. LeGros, Eric H. Silver, Andrew T. Barfknecht, Norman W. Madden, Don A. Landis, Fred S. Goulding, Roger W. Bland, Kenneth E. Laws

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 1743, EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy III; (1992) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.130694
Event: San Diego '92, 1992, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

We are developing superconducting tunnel junction devices for use as high-resolution, high- efficiency x-ray spectrometers. We have tested devices with niobium x-ray absorbing layers coupled to aluminum layers which serve as quasiparticle traps. These devices were fabricated photolithographically using a modified niobium/aluminum/niobium trilayer fabrication process. Our first devices have a very thin barrier with specific normal state resistance of 1.5 X 10^-6 (Omega) cm², and also exhibit very low leakage current of 15 nA below 200 mK. The energy resolution at 6 keV is 190 eV FWHM, and is limited both by electronic noise and by the non-linear response of the detector.

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Simon E. Labov, Carl A. Mears, George W. Morris, Charles E. Cunningham, Mark A. LeGros, Eric H. Silver, Andrew T. Barfknecht, Norman W. Madden, Don A. Landis, Fred S. Goulding, Roger W. Bland, and Kenneth E. Laws "Superconducting tunnel-junction x-ray detectors with niobium absorbers and aluminum quasi-particle traps", Proc. SPIE 1743, EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy III, (8 October 1992); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.130694

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