Growth of NCCO superconducting ultra-thin films for photon detectors

The development of novel superconducting photon detectors requires the investigation of non-traditional materials to exploit their specific properties and realize novel/enhanced devices. Nd 2-x Ce x CuO 4± G G is a moderate high transition temperature cuprate superconductor exhibiting n-type conduction which properties can be changed by modifying its cerium and oxygen content. Ultra-thin films of this compound have been deposited by dc sputtering technique, and systematically characterized by using X-ray diffraction and electrical measurements. Design and patterning of sample geometries have been performed by optical and electron beam lithography in order to obtain sub-micron wide strips for measurements of photon detection.