AFM STUDIES OF VARIOUS NIOBIUM AND ALUMINIUM THIN FILMS FOR THEIR USE IN JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS
Nb thin films have been prepared with e-beam evaporation under UHV conditions, and by RF magnetron sputtering. Al thin films were deposited by resistive heating in the UHV chamber. The preparation of these films and the trilayers of Nb/AlO x /Nb are intended for their use in Josephson junctions. Surface studies of these films are undertaken by using an atomic force microscope in the noncontact mode. These studies have revealed that the sputter-deposited Nb film surface is smoother than that of the UHV e-beam evaporated with R rms values of 3.5 and 4.0 nm respectively. Al thin films have a very smooth surface, with an R rms value of only 0.9 nm. Consequently, UHV-evaporated Nb thin films deposited on top of Al thin films are smoother, with a surface roughness of 1.8 nm.