Deep sub- mu m low-T/sub c/ Josephson technology: the opportunities and the challenges

It is suggested that the possibility now exists of highly leveraging existing semiconductor technology to explore submicron Josephson technology. Some of the opportunities and challenges of such an undertaking are discussed in the context of superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) and digital applications. In the area of digital Josephson technology, a 50-100-ps cycle-time 64-b RISC (reduced instruction set computer) microprocessor is proposed as a long-term goal. While it is unlikely that one will see a sub-100-ps system like this in the near term, research results supporting its feasibility may ultimately help build the case for the resources needed to produce it. Fabrication has been and will probably continue to be an impediment to the exploration of submicron and deep submicron Josephson technology. Coupling to existing semiconductor fabrication capability should help considerably in this area and should help to lay the groundwork for eventual manufacturing of submicron Josephson products.<>