Low microwave loss in deposited Si and Ge thin-film dielectrics at single-photon power and low temperatures


Abstract in English

Our study shows that deposited Ge and Si dielectric thin-films can exhibit low microwave losses at near single-photon powers and sub-Kelvin temperatures ($approx$40 mK). This low loss enables their use in a wide range of devices, including low-loss coplanar, microstrip, and stripline resonators, as well as layers for device isolation, inter-wiring dielectrics, and passivation in microwave and Josephson junction circuit fabrication. We use coplanar microwave resonator structures with narrow trace widths of 2-16 $mu textrm{m}$ to maximize the sensitivity of loss tangent measurements to the interface and properties of the deposited dielectrics, rather than to optimize the quality factor. In this configuration, thermally-evaporated $approx 1 mu textrm{m}$ thick amorphous germanium (a-Ge) films deposited on Si (100) have a single photon loss tangent of $1-2times10^{-6}$ and, $9 mu textrm{m}$-thick chemical vapor deposited (CVD) homoepitaxial Si has a single photon loss tangent of $0.6-2times 10^{-5}$. Interface contamination limits the loss in these devices.

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