Selective chemical frequency modification of Josephson junction resonators

Abstract

A technique for selectively tuning the operating frequency of a superconducting Josephson junction resonator is provided. For example, one or more embodiments described herein may include a method that may include chemically altering the Josephson junction of the Josephson junction resonator through plasma treatment. The method may also include selectively tuning the operating frequency of the Josephson junction resonator based on the characteristics of the plasma treatment.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to chemically modifying the frequency of a selected Josephson junction resonator (e.g., a qubit), and more specifically, to tuning the operating frequency of a selected Josephson junction resonator by changing the electrical resistance of the Josephson junction through one or more plasma treatments. Background Technology

[0002] Scaling quantum computing technology advances complex architectures of multi-qubit processors, where maintaining a low gate error rate within the limits supported by coherence time is particularly important. Quantum processors using fixed-frequency superconducting Josephson junction-based transmon qubits and / or cross-resonant gates may face gate error rates due to at least frequency collisions and / or frequency density. For example, adjacent qubits may degenerate under one or more conditions that degrade gate fidelity.

[0003] To mitigate frequency collisions and / or frequency clustering, the fixed frequency of superconducting qubits can be manipulated by changing the Josephson junction resistance and / or transmon capacitance. For example, the Josephson junction can be laser annealed to increase electrical resistance and lower the qubit frequency. However, laser annealing provides a very narrow tuning range (e.g., 15-20%) with respect to the initial Josephson junction resistance. However, the fabrication of multi-qubit arrays can yield a large distribution of Josephson junction resistance per chip. The limited tuning range provided by laser annealing may be insufficient to tune qubits across a large resistance distribution and may also hinder setting the average Josephson junction resistance of the chip to a target frequency range (e.g., hundreds of megahertz for transmons with a frequency of 5 gigahertz). means of solving the problem

[0004] The following is a summary to provide a basic understanding of one or more embodiments of the present invention. This summary is not intended to identify key or important components or to explain the scope of specific embodiments or claims. Its sole purpose is to present concepts in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description to be presented later. In one or more embodiments described herein, methods, systems, and / or devices related to tuning the operating frequency of Josephson junction resonators (e.g., superconducting qubits) through one or more plasma treatments are described.

[0005] According to one embodiment, a method is provided. The method may include the step of chemically modifying the Josephson junction of a Josephson junction resonator through plasma treatment. The method may also include selectively tuning the operating frequency of the Josephson junction resonator based on the characteristics of the plasma treatment. An advantage of such a method may be the ability to modify the operating frequency over a wide range relative to the initial operating frequency.

[0006] In some examples, the above characteristic may be at least one member selected from the group consisting of the treatment time of the plasma treatment, the chemical composition of the plasma treatment, the amount of energy transferred to the Josephson junction by the plasma treatment, and the partial pressure of the gas used by the plasma treatment. An advantage of this method may be a sharp control over the amount of chemical modification achieved by the plasma treatment.

[0007] According to another embodiment, a method is provided. The method may include the step of chemically modifying the Josephson junction of a Josephson junction resonator through plasma treatment. The method may also include the step of adjusting the electrical resistance of the Josephson junction based on the characteristics of the plasma treatment. An advantage of this method may be a modification of a qubit chip to achieve a target average electrical resistance.

[0008] In some examples, the present method may further include the step of localizing the plasma treatment near the Josephson junction through a plasma beam. An advantage of this method may be a rapid switching between plasma treatments and electrical resistance measurements so that repeated use of the plasma treatment can be evaluated and executed in a rapid manner.

[0009] According to another embodiment, a method is provided. The method may include the step of exposing a Josephson junction of a Josephson junction resonator to a plasma treatment. The plasma treatment may tune the operating frequency of the Josephson junction resonator to a target operating frequency by changing the electrical resistance of the Josephson junction. An advantage of this method may be the tuning of fixed-frequency superconducting qubits to mitigate the occurrence of frequency collisions and / or frequency clustering.

[0010] In some examples, the present method may further include the step of shielding a second Josephson junction from the plasma treatment, wherein the second Josephson junction is adjacent to the Josephson junction of the Josephson junction resonator. An advantage of this method may be the selective tuning of target Josephson junctions.

[0011] According to another embodiment, a device is provided. The device may include an actuator operably coupled to a cover sheet comprising a hole positioned on a platform configured to structurally support a Josephson junction resonator die. An advantage of such a device may be the ability to precisely control the amount of time the Josephson junctions are exposed to plasma processing.

[0012] In some examples, the device may further include a guide housing positioned adjacent to the cover sheet and configured to guide the movement of the cover sheet initiated by the actuator. An advantage of such a device may be that the device can guide serial changes for target Josephson junctions on the qubit die.

[0013] According to another embodiment, a system is provided. The system may include an actuator operably coupled to a cover sheet containing a hole. The system may also include a computer-readable storage medium containing program instructions. The program instructions are executable by a processor and may cause the processor to control the operation of the actuator so that the actuator adjusts the position of the hole relative to a Josephson junction located on a Josephson junction resonator die shielded by the cover sheet. An advantage of such a system may be a controlled implementation of one or more plasma treatments for selectively tuning each Josephson junction resonator of a qubit array.

[0014] In some examples, the program instructions may cause the processor to control the operation of the actuator so that the actuator further aligns the hole in the cover sheet with the Josephson junction. An advantage of such a system may be that multiple Josephson junction resonators can be tuned in parallel or in series based on the alignment of the cover sheet. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting first step of a Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process according to one or more embodiments described herein, wherein one or more Josephson junction resonators (e.g., superconducting qubits) may be identified for exposure to one or more subsequent plasma treatments.

[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting second step of a Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process according to one or more embodiments described herein, wherein one or more masks may be patterned to expose one or more identified Josephson junction resonators while protecting one or more Josephson junction resonators.

[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary non-limiting Josephson junction resonator die at least partially covered by one or more masks comprising one or more electrodes capable of controlling the movement of one or more reactive gas species of plasma treatment according to one or more embodiments described herein.

[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary non-limiting Josephson junction resonator die that is at least partially covered by one or more multilayer masks according to one or more embodiments described herein.

[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting third step of a Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process according to one or more embodiments described herein, wherein one or more exposed Josephson junction resonators may undergo one or more subsequent plasma treatments.

[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting third step of a Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process according to one or more embodiments described herein, wherein one or more plasma treatments may be localized.

[0021] FIG. 7 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting cross-sectional view of a cover sheet device capable of controlling the alignment of one or more cover sheets to facilitate a frequency tuning process of one or more Josephson junction resonators according to one or more embodiments described herein.

[0022] FIG. 8 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting top view of a cover sheet device capable of controlling the alignment of one or more cover sheets to facilitate a frequency tuning process of one or more Josephson junction resonators according to one or more embodiments described herein.

[0023] FIG. 9 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting top view of a cover sheet device capable of controlling the alignment of one or more cover sheets to facilitate a frequency tuning process of one or more Josephson junction resonators according to one or more embodiments described herein.

[0024] FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary, non-limiting method for modifying the operating frequency of one or more selected Josephson junction resonators (e.g., superconducting qubits) according to one or more embodiments described herein.

[0025] FIG. 11 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary, non-limiting method for modifying the operating frequency of one or more selected Josephson junction resonators (e.g., superconducting qubits) according to one or more embodiments described herein.

[0026] FIG. 12 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting operating environment that can facilitate one or more embodiments described herein. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0027] The following specific details for carrying out the invention are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the embodiments and / or their application or use. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any explicit or implied information presented in the preceding background art, the content of the invention, or the specific details for carrying out the invention.

[0028] One or more embodiments are now described with reference to the drawings, wherein the same reference numerals are used throughout to denote the same components. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided for illustrative purposes to provide a more complete understanding of one or more embodiments. However, it is evident that in various cases, one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details.

[0029] The various embodiments described herein may relate to a method, apparatus, and / or system capable of chemically modifying the electrical resistance of one or more Josephson junctions to change the operating frequency of a selected Josephson junction resonator (e.g., a superconducting qubit). In one or more embodiments, one or more Josephson junction resonators may undergo one or more plasma treatments to change the Josephson junction electrical resistance. In various embodiments, one or more Josephson junction resonators may comprise a Josephson junction that can transition from a first electrical resistance to a second electrical resistance (e.g., the electrical resistance may be changed) when a plasma source is applied to one or more Josephson junctions. For example, the electrical resistance of one or more Josephson junctions may be increased or decreased from an initial resistance value to a target resistance value based on one or more characteristics of the plasma treatment. Examples of characteristics that may affect the electrical resistance transition include, but are not limited to, the treatment time of the plasma treatment, the chemical composition of the plasma treatment, the amount of energy transferred to the Josephson junction by the plasma treatment, the partial pressure of the plasma gas, and combinations thereof.

[0030] As the electrical resistance of one or more Josephson junctions changes, the operating frequency of one or more Josephson junctions may be altered. For example, an increase in the electrical resistance of one or more Josephson junctions may be correlated with a decrease in the operating frequency of one or more Josephson junction resonators. For example, one or more plasma treatments may increase the electrical resistance of one or more Josephson junctions and thereby lower the operating frequency of one or more Josephson junction resonators. In another example, a decrease in the electrical resistance of one or more Josephson junctions may be correlated with an increase in the operating frequency of one or more Josephson junction resonators.

[0031] In various embodiments, one or more plasma treatments may be directed toward a target Josephson junction resonator using one or more patterned masks. For example, one or more patterned masks may expose one or more target Josephson junction resonators while shielding one or more Josephson junction resonators from the plasma treatment. In other examples, one or more plasma treatments may be implemented through one or more local techniques, such as one or more direct writing processes.

[0032] In one or more embodiments, one or more devices and / or systems may further facilitate the frequency tuning method by controlling one or more sliding shields. For example, the movement of one or more sliding shields may be guided in relation to a Josephson junction located on a Josephson junction resonator die (e.g., a qubit die). The sliding shield may include one or more holes for directing one or more plasma treatment applications, wherein one or more holes may be aligned with target Josephson junction resonators by moving one or more sliding shields.

[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting first step of a Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100) according to one or more embodiments described herein. Repetitive descriptions of the same components used in other embodiments described herein are omitted for brevity. During the first step of the Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100), one or more target Josephson junction resonators (102) may be identified for changing the operating frequency.

[0034] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a plurality of Josephson junction resonators (102) may be included within a Josephson junction resonator die (104). For example, a plurality of Josephson junction resonators (102) may be located on a semiconductor substrate (106). A person skilled in the art will recognize that the arrangement of Josephson junction resonators (102) on the semiconductor substrate (106) may vary depending on the function and / or type of the qubit processor being manufactured.

[0035] The semiconductor substrate (106) may be crystalline, semi-crystalline, microcrystalline, or amorphous. The semiconductor substrate (106) may essentially comprise a single element (e.g., silicon or germanium) and / or a compound (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, gallium arsenide, silicon carbide, silicon germanium, combinations thereof, etc.) (e.g., excluding contaminants). The semiconductor substrate (106) may also have multiple material layers such as, but not limited to, a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate (“SeOI”), a silicon-on-insulator substrate (“SOI”), a germanium-on-insulator substrate (“GeOI”), a silicon-germanium-on-insulator substrate (“SGOI”), or combinations thereof. Additionally, the semiconductor substrate (106) may have other layers such as oxides with high dielectric constants (“high-K oxides”) and / or nitrides. In one or more embodiments, the semiconductor substrate (106) may be a silicon wafer. In various embodiments, the semiconductor substrate (106) may include single-crystal silicon (Si), silicon germanium (e.g., characterized by the chemical formula SiGe), a III-V semiconductor wafer or a surface / active layer, a combination thereof, etc.

[0036] In various embodiments, a plurality of Josephson junction resonators (102) may be qubits (e.g., fixed-frequency superconducting transmons) and / or traveling wave or parametric amplifiers utilizing Josephson junction technology. For example, one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) may include one or more capacitors (108) and / or Josephson junctions (110). Additionally, one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) may be interconnected with each other and / or operably coupled to one or more read devices and / or circuits. In one or more embodiments, one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) may be manufactured with or without flux lines. FIG. 1 illustrates a Josephson junction resonator die (104) (e.g., a qubit die) comprising three exemplary Josephson junction resonators (102), but those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments comprising fewer than three Josephson junction resonators (102) or more than three Josephson junction resonators (102) are also conceived. For example, the Josephson junction resonator die (104) may comprise an array of Josephson junction resonators (102) positioned in various arrangements on a semiconductor substrate (106). Additionally, the composition and / or structure of the Josephson junction resonators (102) may vary or be substantially the same.

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a Josephson junction (110) of one of the exemplary Josephson junction resonators (102). As illustrated in FIG. 1, one or more Josephson junctions (110) may comprise a three-layer structure including a first superconducting metal layer (112), a metal oxide or nitride layer (114), and a second superconducting metal layer (116). As described herein, the term “superconducting” may refer to a material that exhibits superconducting properties below a superconducting critical temperature, such as aluminum (e.g., a superconducting critical temperature of 1.2 Kelvin) or niobium (e.g., a superconducting critical temperature of 9.3 Kelvin). Additionally, those skilled in the art will recognize that other superconducting materials (e.g., hydride superconductors such as lithium / magnesium hydride alloys) may be used in the various embodiments described herein.

[0038] In various embodiments, the first superconducting metal layer (112) and the second superconducting metal layer (116) may have the same or substantially the same metal composition. Additionally, the metal oxide or nitride layer (114) may include the metal composition of the first superconducting metal layer (112) and the second superconducting metal layer (116) that has been oxidized or nitrated. Exemplary metals that may comprise the first superconducting metal layer (112) and the second superconducting metal layer (116) may include, but are not limited to, aluminum (Al), niobium (Nb), niobium nitride (NbN), and combinations thereof. For example, the first superconducting metal layer (112) and the second superconducting metal layer (116) may comprise Al, and the metal oxide or nitride layer (114) may comprise aluminum oxide (AlOx), magnesium oxide (MgO), and / or aluminum nitride (AlN); For example, a Josephson junction (110) having an Al / AlOx / Al three-layer structure can be made. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, one or more Josephson junctions (110) may be located between one or more superconducting capacitors (108) in parallel or in series (e.g., including superconducting metals such as Nb, Nb, NbCN, NbTiN, Pb, NbN, TiN, Ta, etc.) or may be operably coupled to them.

[0039] In various embodiments, one or more Josephson junctions (110) may have an effective critical current in the range of, for example, 10 to 100 nanoamperes. The critical current may be related to the electrical resistance of one or more Josephson junctions (110) as described by the Ambegaokar-Baratoff relationship before achieving a superconducting state. For example, before achieving a superconducting state, the electrical resistance of one or more Josephson junctions (110) may be inversely proportional to the critical current after becoming a superconductor. Likewise, the critical current may be inversely proportional to the inductance of one or more Josephson junctions (110). By this, the resonant frequency of one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) may be in the range of, for example, hundreds of megahertz to 20 gigahertz.

[0040] In one or more embodiments, one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) may be single-junction transmon qubits; thereby, they may have a resonant frequency fixed by parameters of the capacitor (108) and Josephson junction (110) formed during manufacturing, which is insensitive to tuning using a magnetic field. Additionally, in various embodiments, one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) may be phase and / or charge qubits. For example, one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) may include two or more Josephson junctions (110) arranged in series or parallel circuit elements. Also, one or more Josephson junctions (110) may be formed according to various manufacturing methods, for example, including a three-layer cutting pattern or a Dolan bridge process.

[0041] As described herein, one or more Josephson junctions (110) may undergo one or more plasma treatments to change the electrical resistance of the Josephson junction (110) and, accordingly, change the operating frequency of each Josephson junction resonator (102). Additionally, one or more plasma treatments may be applied to the target Josephson junctions (110) to selectively modify the target Josephson junction resonators (102). As illustrated in FIG. 1, the initial electrical resistance of one or more Josephson junctions (110) may be measured to identify the Josephson junction resonators (102) for modification. For example, an electrical resistance probe may be used to measure the electrical resistance of specific Josephson junctions (110) and / or Josephson junction resonators (102). For example, FIG. 1 illustrates the use of an exemplary four-pronged electrical resistance probe (118) for measuring electrical resistance. In various embodiments, junction resistance measurements can serve as a useful surrogate for the junction resonator frequency. Additionally, the Josephson junction resonator die (104) can be cooled via a superconducting transition, and the resonant frequency can be directly measured by measuring the frequency-dependent device impedance with a network analyzer.

[0042] In various embodiments, the measured electrical resistance and / or resonant frequency can be compared to one or more defined thresholds to determine whether the Josephson junction resonator (102) should be a target for subsequent plasma treatment. For example, one or more Josephson junctions (110) and / or Josephson junction resonators (102) may be identified as target Josephson junctions (110) and / or target Josephson junction resonators (102) based on whether the measured electrical resistance is greater than or less than a defined resistance threshold. In one or more embodiments, the measured electrical resistance of the first Josephson junction (110) and / or Josephson junction resonator (102) may be compared to the measured electrical resistance of the second Josephson junction (110) and / or Josephson junction resonator (102). For example, to identify one or more Josephson junctions (110) and / or Josephson junction resonators (102) to be targeted by one or more plasma treatments, the electrical resistance of neighboring Josephson junctions (110) can be measured and compared with each other.

[0043] FIG. 2 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting second step of a Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100) according to one or more embodiments described herein. Repetitive descriptions of the same components used in other embodiments described herein are omitted for brevity. During the second step of the Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100), one or more masks (202) may be deposited and / or patterned on a plurality of Josephson junction resonators (102).

[0044] In various embodiments, one or more masks (202) may be deposited and / or patterned on a plurality of Josephson junction resonators (102) based on the measured electrical resistance of the Josephson junctions (110). For example, one or more masks (202) may cover one or more Josephson junctions (110) of the Josephson junction resonators (102) that are not targets for modification by one or more subsequent plasma treatments, while leaving one or more other exposed Josephson junctions (110) of the Josephson junction resonators (102) that are targets for modification. One or more masks (202) may shield one or more of the Josephson junction resonators (102) and / or Josephson junctions (110) under plasma treatments. For example, one or more masks (202) may prevent one or more reactant species of one or more plasma treatments from interacting with the covered Josephson junction resonators (102) and / or Josephson junctions (110). Exemplary materials that may be included within one or more masks (202) may include, but are not limited to, stainless steel, Al, steel, copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), glass, silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), quartz, other metals, combinations thereof, etc.

[0045] As illustrated in FIG. 2, one or more mask holes (204) may be patterned into one or more masks (202). One or more mask holes (204) may be aligned with one or more Josephson junctions (110) that are targets for modification based on measured electrical resistance. By doing so, one or more targeted Josephson junctions (110) may remain exposed (e.g., uncovered) despite the presence of one or more masks (202). In various embodiments, one or more mask holes (204) may have a polygonal shape (e.g., triangle, rectangle, square, etc.) or a circular shape. Additionally, the size of one or more mask holes (204) may vary based on the size of one or more target Josephson junctions. Furthermore, the size of one or more mask holes (204) may account for one or more hole manufacturing tolerances (e.g., dicing tolerance, laser cutting tolerance) and / or alignment tolerances. For example, one or more mask holes (204) may be square holes in one or more masks (202) and may have dimensions ranging from, for example, 50 micrometers (μm) x 50 μm to 500 μm x 500 μm.

[0046] In one or more embodiments, one or more masks (202) may be a rigid material (e.g., flat or substantially flat) that can be patterned into one or more mask holes (204) before being placed on a plurality of Josephson junction resonators (102). For example, one or more mask holes (204) may be cut from the rigid material at locations based on the arrangement of Josephson junction resonators (102) on the semiconductor substrate (106). Exemplary cutting processes may include, but are not limited to, dicing and / or laser cutting. For example, the locations of the Josephson junctions (110) contained in the Josephson junction resonator die (104) may be mapped to one or more masks (202). The location of the targeted Josephson junction (110) can be identified on a mapped mask (202), whereby the material of the mask (202) can be removed to form mask holes (204) from the identified location. Thus, when one or more masks (202) are placed on a Josephson junction resonator die (104), one or more mask holes (204) can be aligned with one or more Josephson junctions (110) that are targets for exposure to plasma treatment based on measured electrical resistance.

[0047] In some embodiments, one or more masks (202) may be deposited on one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) through one or more deposition processes. As described herein, the terms “deposition process” and / or “deposition processes” may refer to any process of growing, coating, depositing, and / or otherwise transferring one or more first materials onto one or more second materials. Exemplary deposition processes may include, but are not limited to, physical vapor deposition (“PVD”), chemical vapor deposition (“CVD”), electrochemical deposition (“ECD”), atomic layer deposition (“ALD”), low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (“LPCVD”), plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (“PECVD”), high-density plasma chemical vapor deposition (“HDPCVD”), secondary pressure chemical vapor deposition (“SACVD”), rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (“RTCVD”), in-situ radical-assisted deposition, high-temperature oxide deposition (“HTO”), low-temperature oxide deposition (“LTO”), limited reaction treatment CVD (“LRPCVD”), ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition (“UHVCVD”), organometallic chemical vapor deposition (“MOCVD”), physical vapor deposition (“PVD”), chemical oxidation, sputtering, plating, evaporation, spin-on-coating, ion beam deposition, electron beam deposition, laser-assisted deposition, chemical solution deposition, and combinations thereof.

[0048] Additionally, one or more mask holes (204) may be formed by not depositing one or more masks (202) at the locations of the mask holes (204) during one or more deposition processes. Alternatively, one or more mask holes (204) may be formed by removing one or more portions of one or more deposited masks (202) through one or more etching and / or removal processes. As described herein, “etching process,” “etching processes,” “removal process,” and / or “removal processes” may refer to any process of removing one or more first materials from one or more second materials. Exemplary etching and / or removal processes may include, but are not limited to, wet etching, dry etching (e.g., reactive ion etching (“RIE”)), chemical mechanical planarization (“CMP”), and combinations thereof.

[0049] One or more masks (202) may have a thickness of, for example, between 10 micrometers (μm) and 5 millimeters (mm) (e.g., along the y-axis). As illustrated in FIG. 2, one or more mask holes (204) may extend through the entire or substantially entire thickness of one or more masks (202). Additionally, in various embodiments, one or more mask holes (204) may be directly aligned with the target Josephson junction (110) location or offset from the target Josephson junction (110) location. For example, FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment in which the mask holes (204) are directly aligned with the target Josephson junction (110) (e.g., the leftmost Josephson junction (110)). However, embodiments are also conceived in which the mask hole (204) is only partially aligned with the target Josephson junction (110) (e.g., so that at least a portion of the target Josephson junction (110) is covered by one or more masks (202)).

[0050] In various embodiments, the dimensions of one or more mask holes (204) may depend on the dimensions of one or more target Josephson junctions (110) and / or the measured electrical resistance of one or more target Josephson junctions (110). In one or more embodiments, the dimensions of one or more mask holes (204) may follow one or more defined standards. Additionally, one or more masks (202) may include a plurality of mask holes (204), and the mask holes (204) may have the same dimensions or various dimensions. For example, a first mask hole (204) may be characterized by a first set of dimensions, while a second mask hole (204) may be characterized by a second set of dimensions; wherein the dimensions of the first and second sets may be substantially the same or different.

[0051] The dimensions of one or more mask holes (204) can directly affect the degree of chemical change achieved by one or more subsequent plasma treatments. Accordingly, the dimensions of the mask holes (204) may be defined based on the amount of resistance transition planned for the target Josephson junction (110) aligned or partially aligned with each mask hole (204). For example, in one or more embodiments, the first mask hole (204) corresponding to the first Josephson junction (110) may be larger than the second mask hole (204) corresponding to the second Josephson junction (110), where the first Josephson junction (110) may be targeted for a greater amount of electrical resistance transition than the second Josephson junction (110). Additionally, the degree of chemical change may be further influenced by other characteristics of the plasma treatments according to the various embodiments described herein (e.g., the type of reactant species used in the plasma treatment, the amount of energy imparted by the plasma treatment, the amount of time the target Josephson junction (110) is exposed to the plasma treatment, combinations thereof, etc.). In one or more embodiments, the mask holes (204) may have uniform dimensions, wherein the desired degree of chemical change may be achieved through one or more of the other plasma treatment characteristics.

[0052] FIG. 3 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting second step of a Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100) comprising an embodiment of one or more masks (202) having one or more electrodes (302) according to one or more embodiments described herein. A repetitive description of the same components used in other embodiments described herein is omitted for brevity. As shown in FIG. 3, in various embodiments, one or more masks (202) may further include one or more electrodes (302) positioned around one or more mask holes (204).

[0053] As illustrated in FIG. 3, one or more electrodes (302) may be incorporated into one or more masks (202) that surround or at least partially surround one or more mask holes (204). Additionally, embodiments are also conceived that include one or more electrodes (302) positioned on top of one or more masks (202) and surrounding or at least partially surrounding one or more mask holes (204). One or more electrodes (302) may have a thickness (e.g., along the y-axis) that is smaller than, equal to, or greater than the thickness of one or more masks (202). Types of exemplary electrodes (302) that may be positioned adjacent to one or more mask holes (204) may include, but are not limited to, charged plates, magnetic coils, combinations thereof, etc. In various embodiments, one or more electrodes (302) may be deposited through one or more deposition processes following the formation of one or more mask holes (204).

[0054] In various embodiments, one or more electrodes (302) may generate one or more electric and / or magnetic fields capable of controlling the movement of plasma species through one or more mask holes (204). Current may be supplied to one or more electrodes (302) to generate electric and / or magnetic fields capable of repelling one or more reactant species of plasma treatment. By doing so, activating one or more electrodes (302) may generate one or more electric and / or magnetic fields and protect the corresponding target Josephson junction (110) from plasma treatment even though the target Josephson junction (110) is exposed by the mask holes (204).

[0055] In one or more embodiments, each electrode (302) may be positioned adjacent to each mask hole (204) so ​​that the movement of plasma reactant species through the mask hole (204) can be selectively controlled. For example, the first electrode (302) positioned adjacent to the first mask hole (204) may be activated at a different time than the second electrode (302) positioned adjacent to the second mask hole (204) during plasma treatment. By doing so, the first Josephson junction (110) aligned with the first mask hole (204) may have different exposure times for plasma treatment than the second Josephson junction (110) aligned with the second mask hole (204). Accordingly, the amount of chemical change achieved by plasma treatment may vary between the first and second Josephson junctions (110) based on the activation or deactivation of the first and second electrodes (302).

[0056] FIG. 4 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting second step of a Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100) comprising an embodiment of one or more masks (202) having multiple layers according to one or more embodiments described herein. Repetitive descriptions of the same components used in other embodiments described herein are omitted for brevity. As illustrated in FIG. 4, in various embodiments, one or more masks (202) may further include one or more layers capable of imparting various functions to the one or more masks (202). For example, one or more masks (202) may include a first layer (402) and / or a second layer (404). Embodiments are conceived in which one or more masks (202) include the first layer (402), the second layer (404), or both the first layer (402) and the second layer (404) (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 4).

[0057] In one or more embodiments, the first layer (402) may comprise one or more inert materials that do not contaminate one or more Josephson junction resonators (102). For example, the first layer (402) may be located on one or more sides of a mask (202) facing one or more Josephson junction resonators (102). Additionally, the first layer (402) may come into contact with one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) during the deposition and / or placement of one or more masks (202). Furthermore, the first layer (402) may comprise one or more soft and / or elastic materials to avoid physical damage when in contact with one or more Josephson junction resonators (102). Furthermore, the first layer (402) may comprise one or more materials capable of absorbing one or more plasma species of one or more plasma treatments (e.g., thereby further protecting and / or isolating Josephson junction resonators (102) adjacent to one or more target Josephson junctions (110). Exemplary materials that may be included in the first layer (402) may include, but are not limited to, polymers (e.g., polyimide, Teflon), epoxy, silicon, metals (e.g., stainless steel, Mo, etc.), Ti, Ta, dielectrics (e.g., TiN, SiC, Al2O3), combinations thereof, etc. In various embodiments, the first layer (402) may have a thickness of, for example, 100 nanometers (nm) or more and 1 mm or less (e.g., along the y-axis). In one or more embodiments, the first layer (402) may be positioned over the entire width of the mask (202), substantially the entire width (e.g., along the x-axis), or a portion of the width of the mask (202). For example, the first layer (402) may be selectively positioned on portions of the mask (202) aligned with the covered Josephson junction resonators (102).

[0058] In one or more embodiments, the second layer (404) may comprise one or more materials that may be inert to one or more plasma treatments. For example, the second layer (404) may comprise one or more materials that remain non-reactive during one or more plasma treatments. The second layer (404) may be located on one or more sides of the mask (202) facing away from one or more Josephson junction resonators (102). For example, the second layer (404) may be located on one or more sides of the mask (202) facing one or more plasma treatments. For example, one or more masks (202) may comprise both the first layer (402) and the second layer (404), wherein each layer may be located on both surfaces and / or sides of one or more masks (202). Exemplary materials that may be included in the second layer (404) may include, but are not limited to, stainless steel, Al, steel, Cu, Mo, Ti, Ta, glass, quartz, Si, SiC, other metals, combinations thereof, etc. In various embodiments, the second layer (404) may have a thickness of, for example, 25 μm or more and 10 mm or less (for example, along the y-axis). In one or more embodiments, the second layer (404) may be positioned over the entire width of the mask (202) or substantially the entire width (for example, along the x-axis) or a portion of the width of the mask (202).

[0059] FIG. 5 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting third step of a Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100) according to one or more embodiments described herein. Repetitive descriptions of the same components used in other embodiments described herein are omitted for brevity. During the third step of the Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100), one or more plasma treatments may be implemented.

[0060] In one or more embodiments, one or more plasma treatments may discharge a reactant plasma (502) onto one or more masks (202). Additionally, the reactant plasma (502) may flow through one or more mask holes (204) and interact with one or more target Josephson junctions (110). As illustrated in FIG. 5, Josephson junctions (110) covered by one or more masks (202) may be protected from the reactant plasma (502), while one or more target Josephson junctions (110) not covered by one or more masks (202) may be exposed to the reactant plasma (502) through one or more mask holes (204). In various embodiments, all or substantially all target Josephson junctions (110) may be chemically altered by the reactant plasma (502) in parallel (e.g., simultaneously). For example, by discharging a reactant plasma (502) over one or more masks (202) or substantially over the entire mask; the reactant plasma (502) can access the mask holes (204) in parallel and, accordingly, chemically change the electrical resistance of the target Josephson junctions (110) in parallel.

[0061] Exemplary forming gases that may be used during one or more plasma treatments and thereby contained within the reactant plasma (502) may include, but are not limited to, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, helium (He), methane, ethane, propane, butane, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, combinations thereof, etc. In one or more embodiments, one or more plasma treatments may be performed at vacuum pressure or atmospheric pressure. In one or more embodiments, one or more plasma treatments may be exposed to one or more target Josephson junctions (110) for a time ranging from 1 second to 300 seconds. In one or more embodiments, one or more plasma treatments are hydrogen plasma treatments, wherein the reactant plasma (502) is hydrogen plasma.

[0062] As described herein, one or more plasma treatments can chemically alter the electrical resistance of the exposed target Josephson junction (110). The amount of electrical resistance transition experienced by one or more target Josephson junctions (110) may depend, for example: the treatment time of one or more plasma treatments (e.g., how long the target Josephson junctions (110) are exposed to one or more plasma treatments), the chemical composition of one or more plasma treatments, the amount of energy delivered to one or more target Josephson junctions (110) by one or more plasma treatments, the partial pressure of the plasma gas, a combination thereof, etc. In one or more embodiments, the characteristics of one or more plasma treatments (e.g., reactant composition, plasma frequency, exposure time, etc.) may be adjusted to influence the amount of electrical resistance transition achieved.

[0063] In various embodiments, the third step may include a series of plasma treatments, wherein each plasma treatment in the series may use a different species of reactant plasma (502). For example, during the first plasma treatment, the reactant plasma (502) may include hydrogen plasma; wherein a second plasma treatment may subsequently be used to discharge oxygen plasma as the reactant plasma (502). Additionally, each plasma treatment in the series of plasma treatments may have one or more of the same characteristics and / or one or more of different characteristics (e.g., different reactant composition, plasma frequency, exposure time, etc.).

[0064] FIG. 6 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting third step of a Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100) according to one or more embodiments described herein, wherein one or more plasma treatments are localized. Repetitive descriptions of the same components used in other embodiments described herein are omitted for brevity. During the third step of the Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100), one or more plasma treatments may be implemented in series on localized portions of the Josephson junction resonator die (104) to sequentially change target Josephson junctions (110).

[0065] As illustrated in FIG. 6, one or more plasma treatments may be performed via an atmospheric pressure plasma source (602) capable of discharging a reactant plasma (502) by using a plasma source having a narrow beam that is a directional or focused source, wherein the movement of the plasma gas beam may be further restricted to one or more apertures so that the reactant plasma (502) becomes a directional narrow gas beam rather than a cloud. An advantage of the beam is that the mask (202) does not need to be in close proximity to the Josephson junction resonator die (104) but may instead be at a distance slightly above the aperture. The plasma beam source may be moved to be confined to the vicinity of one or more specific mask holes (204). By doing so, the entire mask hole (204) may be exposed to the reactant plasma (502) through a series of plasma discharges, wherein each plasma discharge may be used sequentially and selectively on the mask holes (204) (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 5, as opposed to parallel). In one or more embodiments, plasma treatment characteristics (e.g., reactant composition, plasma frequency, exposure time, etc.) may vary between discharges. Accordingly, the degree of electrical resistance transition may vary between target Josephson junctions (110) by changing the plasma treatment characteristics between series of plasma discharges.

[0066] For example, the plasma treatment may include at least two plasma discharges directed toward at least two target Josephson junctions (110). The first plasma discharge of the exemplary plasma treatment may be directed toward the first target Josephson junction (110) and may use a first set of characteristics (e.g., reactant composition, plasma frequency, exposure time, etc.). On the other hand, the second plasma discharge of the exemplary plasma treatment may be directed toward the second target Josephson junction (110) and may use a second set of characteristics (e.g., reactant composition, plasma frequency, exposure time, etc.). Thus, the first target Josephson junction (110) and the second target Josephson junction (110) may experience different amounts of electrical resistance change, at least partially due to the difference between the two sets of plasma treatment characteristics.

[0067] In one or more embodiments, one or more masks (202) may be inert gaskets positioned over one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) in a compressed state to protect some of the Josephson junctions (110) while exposing the target Josephson junction (110). For example, the position of one or more masks (202) may be limited to a portion of the Josephson junction resonator die (104) corresponding to the proximity of the local discharge of the plasma treatment, wherein one or more masks (202) may be repositioned as they are repositioned in series so that the plasma source is maintained within the local discharge vicinity. For example, as the atmospheric plasma source (602) is repositioned from one exposed Josephson junction (110) to another, one or more masks (202) (e.g., inert gaskets) may be repositioned to facilitate the desired guidance of the likely discharged reactant plasma (502).

[0068] In various embodiments, the electrical resistance of the Josephson junction resonators (102) may be remeasured following one or more plasma treatments. If the transferred electrical resistance (e.g., measured following one or more plasma treatments) remains different from the desired electrical resistance, one or more plasma treatments may be repeated to achieve the desired electrical resistance.

[0069] FIG. 7 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary non-limiting shielding device (700) capable of facilitating a Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100) according to one or more embodiments described herein. Repetitive descriptions of the same components used in other embodiments described herein are omitted for brevity. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the shielding device (700) can accommodate a Josephson junction resonator die (104) during the Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100). Additionally, the shielding device (700) can control one or more cover sheets (702) capable of further guiding the discharge of plasma during one or more plasma processing.

[0070] In various embodiments, the shielding device (700) may include a support platform (704). As illustrated in FIG. 7, one or more Josephson junction resonator dies (104) may be positioned on at least a portion of the support platform (704). Thus, the support platform (704) may provide structural and / or mechanical support to the Josephson junction resonator die (104). Additionally, the support platform (704) may include one or more rigid materials. Exemplary materials that may be included within the support platform (704) may include, but are not limited to, stainless steel, Al, steel, Cu, Mo, Ti, Ta, glass, quartz, Si, SiC, other metals, combinations thereof, etc. Additionally, the shielding device (700) may include a pocket (706) capable of accommodating the Josephson junction resonator die (104) when the Josephson junction resonator die (104) is positioned on the support platform (704). For example, the pocket (706) may surround or substantially surround the side of the Josephson junction resonator die (104). In one or more embodiments, the pocket (706) may restrict the movement of the Josephson junction resonator die (104) on the support platform (704). In some examples, the pocket (706) may be formed integrally with the support platform (704). In other examples, the pocket (706) may be a separate and / or adjustable feature (for example, the position of the pocket (706) may be adjusted on the support platform (704) according to the dimensions of the Josephson junction resonator die (104). Exemplary materials that may be contained within the pocket (706) may include, but are not limited to, stainless steel, Al, steel, Cu, Mo, Ti, Ta, glass, quartz, Si, SiC, other metals, combinations thereof, etc.

[0071] In one or more embodiments, one or more masks (202) may be deposited and / or patterned on one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) before placing the Josephson junction resonator die (104) on the support platform (705). In one or more embodiments, one or more masks (202) may be deposited and / or patterned on one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) after placing the Josephson junction resonator die (104) on the support platform (705). For example, one or more masks (202) may extend onto the pocket (706) (e.g., as shown in FIG. 7). One or more masks (202) may be deposited and / or patterned according to the various types described herein.

[0072] As illustrated in FIG. 7, one or more slide guides (708) may be additionally positioned on the pocket (706). For example, one or more slide guides (708) may be secured to the pocket (706) via one or more fastening devices (709) (e.g., screws, bolts, nails, adhesive, etc.). In various embodiments, one or more slide guides (708) may guide the movement of one or more cover sheets (702). For example, the cover sheet (702) may move laterally with respect to the received Josephson junction resonator die (104) (e.g., along the x-axis illustrated in FIG. 7). For example, the lateral direction may be on a plane substantially parallel to the surface of the Josephson junction resonator die (104) containing one or more Josephson junction resonators (102). Additionally, the cover sheet (702) may include one or more cover sheet holes (710). As the cover sheet (702) moves along the lateral direction (e.g., along the x-axis shown in FIG. 7), one or more cover sheet holes (710) may be aligned or misaligned with one or more mask holes (204).

[0073] The movement of the cover sheet (702) may be controlled by one or more actuators (712) (e.g., linear or screw-driven, rotary, piezoelectric, pneumatic, hydraulic, combinations thereof, etc.) operably coupled to one or more cover sheets (702). Additionally, one or more actuators (712) may be controlled by one or more computer devices (714). One or more computer devices (714) may include one or more processors (e.g., central processing units (“CPU”)) capable of executing program instructions to control the movement of the cover sheet (702) by controlling the operation of one or more actuators (712). One or more computer devices (714) may include one or more computerized devices, and computerized devices include, but are not limited to, personal computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, cellular phones (e.g., smartphones), computerized tablets (e.g., including processors), smartwatches, keyboards, touch screens, mice, combinations thereof.

[0074] In various embodiments, one or more computer devices (714) may be operably coupled to one or more actuators (712) via one or more networks (716). One or more networks (716) may include wired or wireless networks, including but not limited to cellular networks, wide area networks (WAN) (e.g., the Internet), or local area networks (LAN). For example, one or more computer devices (714) may communicate with one or more actuators (712) (and vice versa) using virtually any desired wired or wireless technology, including but not limited to, for example, cellular, WAN, Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, WLAN, Bluetooth technology, combinations thereof, etc.

[0075] One or more plasma treatments described herein may discharge plasma onto a cover sheet (702). For example, one or more plasma treatments may discharge a reactant plasma (502) onto a side of the cover sheet (702) facing away from the Josephson junction resonator die (104) (e.g., the top side of the cover sheet (702) along the y-axis shown in FIG. 7). Subsequently, the reactant plasma (502) may be exposed to one or more masks (202) through one or more cover sheet holes (710). If one or more cover sheet holes (710) are aligned or partially aligned with one or more mask holes (204) (e.g., as shown in FIG. 7), the reactant plasma (502) may be further exposed to one or more target Josephson junctions (110). As the cover sheet (702) moves along the lateral direction (e.g., along the x-axis shown in FIG. 7), different parts of one or more masks (202) (e.g., different mask holes (204)) may be exposed or covered by the cover sheet (702).

[0076] In various embodiments, the shielding device (700) may allow target Josephson junctions (110) to be exposed in series to plasma treatment, even though the plasma treatment is not limited to a specific area. For example, one or more plasma treatments may discharge reactant plasma (502) onto a cover sheet (702), and as a result, fluid communication between the mask hole (204) and the reactant plasma (502) may be established or de-established by positioning one or more cover sheet holes (710) controlled by the movement of the cover sheet (702).

[0077] FIG. 8 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting top view of an exemplary shielding device (700) according to one or more embodiments described herein. Repetitive descriptions of the same components used in other embodiments described herein are omitted for brevity. FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary cover sheet hole (710) configuration in which a cover sheet (702) includes a single cover sheet hole (710). As illustrated in FIG. 8, the cover sheet hole (710) may have dimensions exceeding those of one or more mask holes (204). In various embodiments, the dimensions of one or more cover sheet holes (710) may be large enough to surround multiple mask holes (204) so ​​that the cover sheet hole (710) can expose multiple mask holes (204) simultaneously from a single location. A person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the size, arrangement, and / or number of cover sheet holes (710) may vary depending on the size, arrangement, and / or number of mask holes (204). As illustrated in FIG. 8, at least some of one or more cover sheet holes (710) may be aligned or partially aligned with one or more mask holes (204) depending on the position of the cover sheet (702).

[0078] FIG. 9 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary, non-limiting top view of an exemplary shielding device (700) according to one or more embodiments described herein. Repetitive descriptions of the same components used in other embodiments described herein are omitted for brevity. FIG. 9 illustrates a cover sheet (702) in a second position relative to a first position shown in FIG. 8. The cover sheet (702) may move along a lateral direction from the first position shown in FIG. 8 to the second position shown in FIG. 9 (e.g., controlled by one or more actuators (712) and / or guided by one or more slide guides (708)).

[0079] For example, at the first cover sheet (702) position shown in FIG. 8, the leftmost Josephson junction (110) can be targeted for alteration by plasma treatment, while the middle Josephson junction (110) and the rightmost Josephson junction (110) can be shielded from plasma treatment. At the second cover sheet (702) position shown in FIG. 9, the middle Josephson junction (110) can be targeted for alteration by plasma treatment, while the leftmost and rightmost Josephson junctions (110) can be shielded from plasma treatment. Accordingly, a comparison of FIGS. 8 and 9 can illustrate a method in which target Josephson junctions (110) (e.g., leftmost and middle Josephson junctions (110)) can be exposed in series to plasma treatment by the movement of the cover sheet (702) while maintaining shielding of one or more Josephson junctions (110) (e.g., the rightmost Josephson junction (110)) that are to be maintained without being altered by plasma treatment.

[0080] As described herein, various embodiments may include a series of plasma treatments, wherein the characteristics of the plasma treatments (e.g., reactant composition) may vary between the discharges of the series. Additionally, the position of the cover sheet (702) along the lateral direction (e.g., along the x-axis) may vary between the plasma discharges of the series. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, the position of the cover sheet (702) may be controlled to adjust the plasma exposure time experienced by the selected Josephson junctions (110); thereby, the amount of electrical resistance transition experienced by the selected Josephson junctions (110) may be adjusted. For example, the cover sheet (702) may remain for a longer or shorter period at the first position shown in FIG. 8 than at the second position shown in FIG. 9; thereby, the amount of electrical resistance change experienced by the leftmost Josephson junction (110) and the middle Josephson junction (110) may differ even if other characteristics of the plasma treatment are kept constant.

[0081] FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary, non-limiting method (1000) capable of facilitating a Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100) according to various embodiments described herein. Repetitive descriptions of the same components used in other embodiments described herein are omitted for brevity.

[0082] In (1002), the method (1000) may include the step of chemically altering one or more Josephson junctions (110) of one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) through one or more plasma treatments. For example, the electrical resistance of one or more Josephson junctions (110) may be altered by exposure to one or more reactant plasmas (502) of one or more plasma treatments. For example, one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) may be included within an array of Josephson junction resonators (102) (e.g., arranged on a semiconductor substrate (106) as a Josephson junction resonator die (104)). Additionally, the step of chemically altering one or more Josephson junctions (110) may include the step of targeting one or more Josephson junctions based on measured electrical resistance, and / or the step of directing the implementation of one or more plasma treatments through one or more patterned masks (202).

[0083] In (1004), the method (1000) may include the step of selectively tuning the operating frequency of one or more Josephson junction resonators based on the characteristics of one or more plasma treatments. For example, the chemical modification performed in (1002) may be influenced in (1004) by controlling one or more characteristics of one or more plasma treatments. Exemplary plasma treatment characteristics that may influence the chemical modification may include, but are not limited to, the treatment time of the plasma treatment, the chemical composition of the plasma treatment, the amount of energy transferred to the Josephson junction by the plasma treatment, the partial pressure of the plasma gas, and combinations thereof. By changing one or more of the plasma treatment characteristics, the amount of electrical resistance modification experienced by one or more Josephson junctions (110) may also change; thereby, the operating frequency of the selected Josephson junctions (110) may be tuned.

[0084] In various embodiments, Josephson junctions (110) may be selectively tuned by controlling the amount of time each Josephson junction (110) is exposed to one or more plasma treatments. When multiple Josephson junctions (110) are tuned, the plasma exposure time may vary between Josephson junctions (110); thus, the amount of electrical resistance transition may vary. Additionally, in one or more embodiments, one or more plasma treatments may include a series of plasma discharges, wherein different Josephson junctions (110) may be targeted by each discharge and / or different plasma treatment characteristics may be used by each discharge. For example, one or more plasma treatments may implement a local discharge of the reactant plasma (502) and chemically alter multiple Josephson junctions (110) in series (e.g., one Josephson junction (110) at a time, or a group of Josephson junctions (110) at a time). In another example, a plurality of Josephson junctions (110) that are targets for chemical alteration (e.g., all Josephson junctions (110) that are targets for chemical alteration) may be exposed to one or more plasma treatments in parallel (e.g., simultaneously). In one or more embodiments, one or more Josephson junctions (110) may be exposed to a hydrogen plasma discharge following an oxygen plasma discharge.

[0085] FIG. 11 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary, non-limiting method (1100) capable of facilitating a Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100) according to various embodiments described herein. Repetitive descriptions of the same components used in other embodiments described herein are omitted for brevity.

[0086] In (1102), the method (1100) may include the step of identifying one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) for tuning based on the measured electrical resistance of one or more Josephson junctions (110) of one or more Josephson junction resonators (102). For example, the step of identifying one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) in (1102) may be performed according to the first step of the Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100) and according to various embodiments described herein. For example, one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) may be identified for chemical modification based on having a measured electrical resistance that deviates significantly from a threshold defined at the target electrical resistance.

[0087] In (1104), the method (1100) comprises the step of depositing one or more mask layers (e.g., masks (202)) on one or more Josephson junction resonators (102), wherein the mask layers may include one or more holes (e.g., mask holes (204)) that may be correlated with one or more locations of one or more Josephson junctions (110). For example, the step of depositing one or more mask layers in (1104) may be performed according to the second step of the Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100) and according to various embodiments described herein. As described herein, one or more mask layers (e.g., masks (202)) may shield one or more neighboring Josephson junction resonators (102) while leaving the identified Josephson junction resonators (102) at least partially exposed. Additionally, one or more mask layers may include one or more patterned electrodes (302) (e.g., located adjacent to one or more holes) and / or multiple layers (e.g., a first layer (402) and / or a second layer (404)), as described herein.

[0088] In (1106), the method (1100) may include a step of chemically altering one or more Josephson junctions (110) of one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) through one or more plasma treatments, wherein one or more mask layers may protect one or more second Josephson junction resonators (102) from one or more plasma treatments. For example, the step of chemically altering one or more Josephson junctions (110) in (1106) may be performed according to the third step of the Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100) and according to various embodiments described herein. For example, the electrical resistance of one or more Josephson junctions (110) may be altered by exposure to one or more reactant plasmas (502) of one or more plasma treatments. For example, one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) may be included within an array of Josephson junction resonators (102) (e.g., arranged on a semiconductor substrate (106) as a Josephson junction resonator die (104)). Additionally, chemical modification may be a modification to the electrical resistance of one or more Josephson junctions (110) and may be influenced by controlling one or more characteristics of one or more plasma treatments. Exemplary plasma treatment characteristics that may influence chemical modification may include, but are not limited to, the treatment time of the plasma treatment, the chemical composition of the plasma treatment, the amount of energy transferred to the Josephson junction by the plasma treatment, and combinations thereof. By changing one or more of the plasma treatment characteristics, the amount of electrical resistance modification experienced by one or more Josephson junctions (110) may also change; and the operating frequency of the selected Josephson junctions (110) may be tuned.

[0089] In various embodiments, Josephson junctions (110) may be selectively tuned by controlling the amount of time each Josephson junction (110) is exposed to one or more plasma treatments. When multiple Josephson junctions (110) are tuned, the plasma exposure time may vary between Josephson junctions (110); thus, the amount of electrical resistance transition may vary. Additionally, in one or more embodiments, one or more plasma treatments may include a series of plasma discharges, wherein different Josephson junctions (110) may be targeted by each discharge and / or different plasma treatment characteristics may be used by each discharge. For example, one or more plasma treatments may implement a local discharge of the reactant plasma (502) and chemically alter multiple Josephson junctions (110) in series (e.g., one Josephson junction (110) at a time, or a group of Josephson junctions (110) at a time). In another example, a plurality of Josephson junctions (110) that are targets for chemical alteration (e.g., all Josephson junctions (110) that are targets for chemical alteration) may be exposed to one or more plasma treatments in parallel (e.g., simultaneously). In one or more embodiments, one or more Josephson junctions (110) may be exposed to a hydrogen plasma discharge following an oxygen plasma discharge.

[0090] In (1108), the method (1100) may include the step of measuring the electrical resistance of one or more chemically modified Josephson junctions (110). For example, the measuring step in (1108) may be performed according to the first step of the Josephson junction resonator frequency tuning process (100) and according to various embodiments described herein. In (1110), the method (1100) may proceed based on whether the measured electrical resistance is equal to or substantially equal to the target electrical resistance. For example, the method (1100) may include the step of determining whether the electrical resistance achieved through plasma treatment deviates from the target electrical resistance by more than a defined threshold used to identify one or more Josephson junction resonators (102) in (1102). If the measured electrical resistance is substantially equal to the target electrical resistance (e.g., the electrical resistance deviation is below a defined threshold), the measured Josephson junction resonator (102) can be considered tuned to the desired operating frequency and the method (1100) can be terminated. If the measured electrical resistance is not substantially equal to the target electrical resistance (e.g., the electrical resistance deviation is greater than a defined threshold), the method (1100) can repeat steps (1106 to 1110) until the target electrical resistance is satisfied.

[0091] To provide context for the various embodiments described herein, FIG. 12 and the following discussion are intended to provide a general description of a suitable computing environment (1200) in which the various embodiments described herein may be implemented. For example, one or more computer devices (714) described herein may use the computing environment (1200) to execute one or more program instructions capable of controlling the operation of one or more actuators (712) and cover sheets (702). Although the embodiments have been described above in the general context of computer-executable instructions that may be executed on one or more computers, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments may also be implemented in combination with other program modules and / or as a combination of hardware and software.

[0092] Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. Furthermore, those skilled in the art may understand that the method of the present invention may be implemented in other computer system configurations, including single-processor or multi-processor computer systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, Internet of Things (“IoT”) devices, distributed computing systems, personal computers, portable computing devices, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, etc., which can be operably connected to one or more associated devices.

[0093] The embodiments illustrated herein may also be implemented in a distributed computing environment where specific tasks are performed by remote processing devices connected via a communication network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and / or remote memory storage devices. For example, in one or more embodiments, computer executable components may be executed from memory that may include or configure one or more distributed memory devices. As used herein, the terms “memory” and “memory device” are interchangeable. Additionally, one or more embodiments described herein may execute code of computer executable components in a distributed manner, for example, on multiple processors that combine or cooperate to execute code from one or more distributed memory devices. As used herein, the term “memory” may include a single memory or memory device in one location or multiple memories or memory devices in one or more locations.

[0094] Computing devices generally comprise various media that may include computer-readable storage media, machine-readable storage media and / or communication media, and the two terms are used differently herein as follows. A computer-readable storage medium or a machine-readable storage medium may be any available storage medium accessible by a computer and includes both volatile and non-volatile media, and both removable and non-removable media. By example, not by limitation, a computer-readable storage medium or a machine-readable storage medium may be implemented in connection with any method or technique for storing information, such as computer-readable or machine-readable instructions, program modules, structured data, or unstructured data.

[0095] Computer-readable storage media include random access memory (“RAM”), read-only memory (“ROM”), electrically eraseable and programmable read-only memory (“EEPROM”), may include, but is not limited to, flash memory or other memory technologies, compact disc read-only memory (“CD-ROM”), digital multi-purpose disc (“DVD”), Blu-ray disc (“BD”) or other optical disc storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tapes, magnetic disc storage or other magnetic storage devices, solid-state drives or other solid-state storage devices, or other tangible and / or non-transient media that can be used to store desired information. In this regard, the terms “tangible” or “non-transient” as applied herein to storage, memory or computer-readable media do not waive any rights to any standard storage, memory or computer-readable media that, as a modifier, exclude only transient signals themselves and do not propagate only transient signals themselves.

[0096] A computer-readable storage medium may be accessed by one or more local or remote computing devices for various operations with respect to information stored on the medium, for example, through access requests, queries, or other data retrieval protocols.

[0097] A communication medium generally includes any information transmission or transmission medium that implements computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other structured or unstructured data on a data signal, such as a modulated data signal, e.g., a carrier wave or other transmission mechanism. The terms “modulated data signal” or signals refer to a signal in which one or more characteristics are set or altered in a manner that encodes information into one or more signals. By example, but not by limitation, a communication medium includes wired media, such as wired networks or direct wired connections, and wireless media, such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media.

[0098] Referring again to FIG. 12, an exemplary environment (1200) for implementing various embodiments of the aspects described herein includes a computer (1202), the computer (1202) includes a processing unit (1204), system memory (1206), and a system bus (1208). The system bus (1208) connects system components, including but not limited to system memory (1206), to the processing unit (1204). The processing unit (1204) may be any of various commercially available processors. Dual microprocessors and other multi-processor architectures may also be used as the processing unit (1204).

[0099] The system bus (1208) may be any of several types of bus structures that can be additionally interconnected to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of the various commercially available bus architectures. System memory (1206) includes ROM (1210) and RAM (1212). A basic input / output system (“BIOS”) may be stored in non-volatile memory such as ROM, eraseable and programmable read-only memory (“EPROM”), or EEPROM, and this BIOS has basic routines that help transfer information between elements within the computer (1202), such as during startup. RAM (1212) may also include high-speed RAM, such as static RAM for data caching.

[0100] The computer (1202) further includes an internal hard disk drive (“HDD”) (1214) (e.g., EIDE, SATA), one or more external storage devices (1216) (e.g., magnetic floppy disk drive (“FDD”) (1216), memory stick or flash drive reader, memory card reader, etc.) and an optical disk drive (1220) (e.g., which can read from or write to CD-ROM discs, DVDs, BDs, etc.). Although the internal HDD (1214) is depicted as being located within the computer (1202), the internal HDD (1214) may also be configured for external use in a suitable chassis (not shown). Additionally, although not depicted in the environment (1200), a solid-state drive (“SSD”) may be used in addition to or instead of the HDD (1214). The HDD (1214), external storage device(s) (1216), and optical disk drive (1220) may each be connected to the system bus (1208) via an HDD interface (1224), an external storage interface (1226), and an optical drive interface (1228). The interface for external drive implementation (1224) may include at least one or both of the Universal Serial Bus (“USB”) and “IEEE” (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) (1394) interface technologies. Other external drive connection technologies are also within the intent of the embodiments described herein.

[0101] Drives and their associated computer-readable storage media provide non-volatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executable instructions, etc. For a computer (1202), the drives and storage media accommodate storage of any data in a suitable digital format. Although the description of computer-readable storage media above refers to each type of storage device, those skilled in the art should recognize that other types of computer-readable storage media, whether currently existing or developed in the future, may also be used in exemplary operating environments, and that such storage media may contain computer-executable instructions for performing the method described herein.

[0102] A plurality of program modules, including an operating system (1230), one or more application programs (1232), other program modules (1234), and program data (1236), may be stored in drives and RAM (1212). All or part of the operating system, applications, modules, and / or data may be cached in RAM (1212). The systems and methods described herein may be implemented using various commercially available operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0103] The computer (1202) may optionally include emulation technology. For example, a hypervisor (not shown) or other intermediate may emulate the hardware environment for the operating system (1230), and the emulated hardware may optionally differ from the hardware shown in FIG. 12. In one such embodiment, the operating system (1230) may include one of a number of virtual machines (“VM”) hosted on the computer (1202). Additionally, the operating system (1230) may provide a runtime environment, such as a Java runtime environment or a .NET framework, for applications (1232). A runtime environment is a consistent execution environment that allows applications (1232) to run on any operating system that includes the runtime environment. Similarly, the operating system (1230) may support containers, and applications (1232) may be in the form of containers, which are lightweight, standalone, executable software packages that include, for example, code, runtime, system tools, system libraries, and settings for the application.

[0104] Additionally, the computer (1202) may be enabled with a security module such as a trust processing module (“TPM”). For example, using a TPM, boot components hash the next boot components and wait until the result matches a security value before loading the next boot component. This process may occur at any layer of the code execution stack of the computer (1202), applied, for example, at the application execution level or the operating system (“OS”) kernel level, thereby enabling security at any level of code execution.

[0105] The user may input commands and information into the computer (1202) through one or more wired / wireless input devices, such as a pointing device like a keyboard (1238), a touch screen (1240), and a mouse (1242). Other input devices (not shown) include a microphone, an infrared (“IR”) remote control, a radio frequency (“RF”) remote control, or other remote controls, a joystick, a virtual reality controller and / or a virtual reality headset, a gamepad, a stylus pen, an image input device, such as a camera(s), a gesture sensor input device, a visual movement sensor input device, an emotion or face detection device, a biometric input device, such as a fingerprint or iris scanner, etc. These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit (1204) via an input device interface (1244) that can be coupled to the system bus (1208), but may also be connected via other interfaces such as a parallel port, an IEEE (1394) serial port, a game port, a USB port, an IR interface, a BLUETOOTH® interface, etc.

[0106] A monitor (1246) or other type of display device may also be connected to the system bus (1208) via an interface such as a video adapter (1248). In addition to the monitor (1246), the computer typically includes other peripheral output devices (not shown), such as speakers, a printer, etc.

[0107] A computer (1202) may operate in a networked environment using a logical connection via wired and / or wireless communication to one or more remote computers, such as remote computer(s) (1250). The remote computer(s) (1250) may be a workstation, server computer, router, personal computer, portable computer, microprocessor-based entertainment device, peer device, or other common network node, and generally include many or all of the elements described in relation to the computer (1202), but for brevity, only the memory / storage device (1252) is shown. The shown logical connection includes a wired / wireless connection to a local area network (“LAN”) (1254) and / or a larger network, e.g., a wide area network (“WAN”) (1256). These LAN and WAN networking environments are very common in offices and companies and enable enterprise-wide computer networks, such as intranets, that can all connect to a global communication network (e.g., the Internet).

[0108] When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer (1202) may be connected to a local network (1254) via a wired and / or wireless communication network interface or adapter (1258). The adapter (1258) may enable wired or wireless communication to the LAN (1254), which may also include a wireless access point (“AP”) placed thereon to communicate with the adapter (1258) in wireless mode.

[0109] When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer (1202) may include a modem (1260) or may be connected to a communication server on the WAN (1256) through other means for establishing communication over the WAN (1256), such as the Internet. The modem (1260), which may be an internal or external and wired or wireless device, may be connected to the system bus (1208) through an input device interface (1244). In a networked environment, the program module described for the computer (1202) or a part thereof may be stored in a remote memory / storage device (1252). It will be understood that the illustrated network connection is an example and that other means of establishing communication links between computers may be used.

[0110] When used in a LAN or WAN networking environment, the computer (1202) may access a cloud storage system or another network-based storage system in addition to or instead of the external storage system (1216) as described above. Generally, the connection between the computer (1202) and the cloud storage system may be established via the LAN (1254) or WAN (1256), for example, by an adapter (1258) or a modem (1260), respectively. When connecting the computer (1202) to the associated cloud storage system, the external storage interface (1226) may manage the storage provided by the cloud storage system as if it were another type of external storage, with the help of the adapter (1258) and / or modem (1260). For example, the external storage interface (1226) may be configured to provide access to the cloud storage source as if the cloud storage source were physically connected to the computer (1202).

[0111] The computer (1202) may be capable of communicating with any wireless device or entity deployed to be operable via wireless communication, e.g., a printer, scanner, desktop and / or portable computer, portable data auxiliary device, communication satellite, any equipment or location associated with a wirelessly detectable tag (e.g., a kiosk, newsstand, store shelf, etc.), and a telephone. This may include Wi-Fi (“Wi-Fi”) and BLUETOOTH® wireless technologies. Thus, the communication may be a predefined structure, such as an existing network, or a simple temporary communication between at least two devices.

[0112] The foregoing includes simple examples of systems, computer program products, and computer implementation methods. Of course, it is impossible to describe every conceivable combination of component products and / or computer implementation methods for the purpose of describing the invention, but those skilled in the art will recognize that many additional combinations and permutations of the invention are possible. Furthermore, insofar as terms such as “include,” “have,” and “possess” are used in the specific description of the invention, claims, appendices, and drawings, these terms are intended to be comprehensive in a manner similar to the term “comprising,” as the term “comprising” is used as a transitional word in the claims. The description of various embodiments is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the description to the complete or disclosed embodiments. Those skilled in the art will be aware that many modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terms used herein are chosen to best describe the principles of the embodiments, substantial applications of the technology found in the market, or technical improvements, or to enable a person skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

Claim 1 A method comprising: selecting a target Josephson junction resonator among a plurality of Josephson junction resonators on a substrate; chemically altering the Josephson junction of the target Josephson junction resonator through plasma treatment without chemically altering the second Josephson junction among the plurality of Josephson junction resonators through plasma treatment; and selectively tuning the operating frequency of the target Josephson junction resonator based on the characteristics of the plasma treatment. Claim 2 A method according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic is at least one member selected from the group consisting of the treatment time of the plasma treatment, the chemical composition of the plasma treatment, the amount of energy transferred to the Josephson junction by the plasma treatment, and the partial pressure of the gas used by the plasma treatment. Claim 3 In paragraph 2, the plasma treatment exposes the Josephson junction to a series of plasmas, and the plasma treatment changes the electrical resistance of the Josephson junction. Claim 4 The method of claim 1 further comprises the step of localizing the plasma treatment in the vicinity of the Josephson junction through a plasma beam. Claim 5 The method of claim 1 further comprises the step of depositing a mask layer on the plurality of Josephson junction resonators, wherein the mask layer includes a hole correlated with the location of the Josephson junction, and the mask layer protects the second Josephson junction from the plasma treatment. Claim 6 A method according to claim 5, wherein the mask layer comprises a first surface facing the Josephson junction and a second surface facing the plasma treatment, wherein the first surface is characterized by a chemical composition that absorbs plasma species of the plasma treatment and the second surface is characterized by another chemical composition that is inert to the plasma treatment. Claim 7 In claim 5, the method further comprises: a step of patterning electrodes around the holes of the mask layer; and a step of controlling the movement of reactive species of the plasma treatment across the mask layer through the operation of the electrodes. Claim 8 The method of claim 1 further comprises the step of compressing an inert gasket on the plurality of Josephson junction resonators, wherein the inert gasket comprises a hole correlated with the location of the Josephson junction, and the inert gasket seals the second Josephson junction adjacent to the Josephson junction from the plasma treatment. Claim 9 A method comprising: a step of depositing a mask layer on a Josephson junction resonator, wherein the mask layer comprises a hole correlated with the location of the Josephson junction of the Josephson junction resonator; a step of chemically altering the Josephson junction of the Josephson junction resonator through plasma treatment; and a step of selectively tuning the operating frequency of the Josephson junction based on the characteristics of the plasma treatment, wherein the mask layer protects a second Josephson junction from the plasma treatment. Claim 10 A method according to claim 9, wherein the plasma treatment exposes the Josephson junction to a series of plasmas, the plasma treatment changes the electrical resistance of the Josephson junction, and the characteristic is at least one member selected from the group consisting of the treatment time of the plasma treatment, the chemical composition of the plasma treatment, the amount of energy transferred to the Josephson junction by the plasma treatment, and the partial pressure of the gas used by the plasma treatment. Claim 11 In claim 9, the method further comprises the step of localizing the plasma treatment in the vicinity of the Josephson junction through a plasma beam. Claim 12 In claim 9, the method further comprises the step of depositing a mask layer on the Josephson junction resonator, wherein the mask layer includes a hole correlated with the location of the Josephson junction, and the mask layer protects a portion of the Josephson junction resonator from the plasma treatment. Claim 13 A method according to claim 12, wherein the mask layer comprises a first surface facing the Josephson junction resonator and a second surface facing the plasma treatment, wherein the first surface is characterized by a chemical composition that absorbs plasma species of the plasma treatment and the second surface is characterized by another chemical composition that is inert to the plasma treatment. Claim 14 In claim 9, the method further comprises the step of compressing an inert gasket on the Josephson junction resonator, wherein the inert gasket comprises a hole correlated with the location of the Josephson junction, and the inert gasket seals the second Josephson junction adjacent to the Josephson junction from the plasma treatment. Claim 15 A method comprising: a step of exposing a Josephson junction of a Josephson junction resonator to a plasma treatment, wherein the plasma treatment tunes the operating frequency of the Josephson junction resonator to a target operating frequency by changing the electrical resistance of the Josephson junction; and a step of shielding a second Josephson junction from the plasma treatment, wherein the second Josephson junction is adjacent to the Josephson junction of the Josephson junction resonator. Claim 16 In paragraph 15, the plasma treatment is a method of exposing the Josephson junction to a series of plasmas. Claim 17 delete Claim 18 In paragraph 15, the method further comprises the step of localizing the plasma treatment in the vicinity of the Josephson junction through a plasma beam. Claim 19 delete Claim 20 delete Claim 21 delete Claim 22 delete Claim 23 delete Claim 24 delete Claim 25 delete

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