US5126315A — High tc superconducting device with weak link bet…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 106 words

A superconducting device comprising: a body selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor body and a normal-conductor body; and at least two superconductor electrodes adapted to have current flowing therethrough, each provided in contact with said body, and spaced from each other so as to form a superconducting weak-link through said body, the superconductor electrodes being formed of a high T c superconducting oxide having a crystalline structure whose crystals have a c-axis; wherein the at least two superconductor electrodes are positioned such that the c-axis of the crystals is substantially perpendicular to a direction of current flowing through said at least two superconductor electrodes.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 106 words

A superconducting device comprising: a body selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor body and a normal-conductor body; and at least two superconductor electrodes adapted to have current flowing therethrough, each provided in contact with said body, and spaced from each other so as to form a superconducting weak-link through said body, the superconductor electrodes being formed of a high T c superconducting oxide having a crystalline structure whose crystals have a c-axis; wherein the at least two superconductor electrodes are positioned such that the c-axis of the crystals is substantially perpendicular to a direction of current flowing through said at least two superconductor electrodes.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 52 words

A superconducting device according to claim 1, further comprising a substrate, the substrate being flat, and wherein: said body is a layer of fixed thickness which is formed on the substrate; and said at least two superconductor electrodes are formed on said body having the fixed thickness, and hold a space therebetween.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 41 words

A superconducting device according to claim 2, further comprising a protective film for preventing changes of superconducting characteristics of said at least two superconductor electrodes, which protective film is formed on said body and on said at least two superconductor electrodes.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 39 words

A superconducting device according to claim 2, further comprising control means for controlling current flowing between said at least two superconductor electrodes, which control means is formed on said body and is separated therefrom by an electric insulator film.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 26 words

A superconducting device according to claim 2, wherein a principal surface of said substrate is substantially perpendicular to a c-axis of a crystal of said substrate.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 31 words

A superconducting device according to claim 5, wherein said body and said at least two superconductor electrodes are oriented in the came c-axial direction as the crystal axis of said substrate.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 59 words

A superconducting device according to claim 1, further comprising a substrate, the substrate being flat, and wherein: said at least two superconductor electrodes are layers of fixed thickness which are formed on the substrate, and hold a space therebetween, and said body is formed on said at least two superconductor electrodes and said substrate, and also in said space.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 33 words

A superconducting device according to claim 1, wherein said at least two superconductor electrodes are spaced from each other at a distance of 3 to 10 times a coherence length of said body.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 26 words

A superconducting device according to claim 1, wherein said at least two superconductor electrodes have a sandwich type structure in which they hold said body therebetween.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 33 words

A superconducting device according to claim 9, wherein the c-axis of the crystal grains of the polycrystalline material is oriented to be substantially perpendicular to the direction of current flowing through the superconductor.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 60 words

A superconducting device according to claim 10, wherein a lowermost one of the at least two superconductor electrodes is on a substrate, the substrate having a flat surface on which the lowermost superconductor electrode is provided, and wherein the c-axis of the at least two superconductor electrodes extends in a direction parallel to the direction which said flat surface extends.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 39 words

A superconducting device according to claim 1, wherein said body is made of an oxide containing common elements included in the at least two superconductor electrodes, and wherein said body has the same crystalline structure as said superconducting oxide.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 34 words

A superconducting device according to claim 1, wherein said c-axis of said crystals is substantially parallel to a contact plane between said body and said at least two superconductor electrodes in said superconducting weak-link.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 46 words

A superconducting device according to claim 1, wherein a c-plane of the crystals is perpendicular to the c-axis, and wherein said c-plane of said crystals is substantially perpendicular to a contact plane between said body and said at least two superconductor electrodes in said superconducting weak-link.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 39 words

A superconducting device according to claim 14, further comprising control means for controlling current flowing between said at least two superconductor electrodes, which control means is formed on said body and is separated therefrom by an electric insulator film.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 48 words

A superconducting device according to claim 1, wherein: said body includes a projection, and said at least two superconductor electrodes are formed on said body through an electric insulator film so as to lie in contact with side faces of said projection and to hold said projection therebetween.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 47 words

A superconducting device according to claim 16, further comprising control means for controlling current flowing between said superconductors, which control means is formed so as to cover at least a part of an upper portion of said projection and is separated therefrom by an electric insulator film.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 28 words

A superconducting device according to claim 16, wherein said projection has a width, in a direction between the side faces of said projection, of at most 0.5 μm.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 22 words

A superconducting device according to claim 1, wherein said body and the at least two superconductor electrodes are made of monocrystalline material.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 22 words

A superconducting device according to claim 1, wherein said body and the at least two superconductor electrodes are made of polycrystalline material.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 33 words

A superconducting device according to claim 20, wherein the c-axis of the crystal grains of the polycrystalline material are oriented to be substantially perpendicular to the direction of current flowing through the superconductor.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 43 words

A superconducting device according to claim 1, wherein the crystalline structure of the oxide of which the at least two superconductor electrodes are formed is selected from the group consisting of perovskite type crystalline structure and K 2 NiF 4 type crystalline structure.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 104 words

A superconducting device comprising: a body selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor body and a normal-conductor body; and at least two superconductor electrodes adapted to have current flowing therethrough, provided in contact with said body, and spaced from each other so as to form a superconducting weak-link through said body; the superconductor electrodes being formed of a high T c superconducting oxide having a crystalline structure whose crystals have a c-axis; the at least two superconductor electrodes being positioned such that the c-axis of the crystals is substantially perpendicular to a direction of current flowing through said at least two superconductor electrodes.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 104 words

A superconducting device comprising: a body selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor body and a normal-conductor body; and at least two superconductor electrodes adapted to have current flowing therethrough, provided in contact with said body, and spaced from each other so as to form a superconducting weak-link through said body; the superconductor electrodes being formed of a high T c superconducting oxide having a crystalline structure whose crystals have a c-axis; the at least two superconductor electrodes being positioned such that the c-axis of the crystals is substantially perpendicular to a direction of current flowing through said at least two superconductor electrodes.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 43 words

A superconducting device according to claim 23, wherein the crystalline structure of the oxide of which the at least two superconducting electrodes are formed is selected from the group consisting of perovskite type crystalline structure and K 2 NiF 4 type crystalline structure.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 177 words

A superconducting device comprising: a body selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor body and a normal-conductor body; and at least two high T c superconductor electrodes adapted to have current flowing therethrough, provided in contact with said body, the at least two superconductor electrodes having a crystal structure, the crystal structure having a c-axis, a property of the at least two superconductor electrodes depending upon the crystallographic orientation of the at least two superconductor electrodes, wherein the at least two superconductor electrodes are positioned such that a direction in which current flows through the at least two superconductor electrodes is substantially perpendicular to the c-axis of the crystal structure of the at least two superconductor electrodes, the at least two superconductor electrodes being spaced from each other so as to form a superconducting weak-link through said body, a plane perpendicular to the c-axis of said crystal structure of said at least two superconductor electrodes being substantially perpendicular to a contact plane between said body and said at least two superconductor electrodes in said superconducting weak-link.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 177 words

A superconducting device comprising: a body selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor body and a normal-conductor body; and at least two high T c superconductor electrodes adapted to have current flowing therethrough, provided in contact with said body, the at least two superconductor electrodes having a crystal structure, the crystal structure having a c-axis, a property of the at least two superconductor electrodes depending upon the crystallographic orientation of the at least two superconductor electrodes, wherein the at least two superconductor electrodes are positioned such that a direction in which current flows through the at least two superconductor electrodes is substantially perpendicular to the c-axis of the crystal structure of the at least two superconductor electrodes, the at least two superconductor electrodes being spaced from each other so as to form a superconducting weak-link through said body, a plane perpendicular to the c-axis of said crystal structure of said at least two superconductor electrodes being substantially perpendicular to a contact plane between said body and said at least two superconductor electrodes in said superconducting weak-link.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 88 words

A superconducting device comprising: a body selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor body and a normal-conductor body; at least one superconductor electrode adapted to have current flowing therethrough, provided on said body so as to form a contact plane therewith, the at least one superconductor electrode being formed of a high T c superconducting oxide having a crystalline structure, the crystalline structure having a c-axis; with a c-plane being perpendicular to said c-axis; said c-plane of said crystalline structure being substantially perpendicular to the contact plane.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 88 words

A superconducting device comprising: a body selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor body and a normal-conductor body; at least one superconductor electrode adapted to have current flowing therethrough, provided on said body so as to form a contact plane therewith, the at least one superconductor electrode being formed of a high T c superconducting oxide having a crystalline structure, the crystalline structure having a c-axis; with a c-plane being perpendicular to said c-axis; said c-plane of said crystalline structure being substantially perpendicular to the contact plane.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 48 words

A superconducting device according to claim 26, wherein said at least one superconductor electrode includes at a part thereof a weak-link portion in which the c-axis of the crystalline structure is not substantially perpendicular to a direction of said current flowing through said at least one superconductor electrode.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 16 words

A superconducting device according to claim 27, further comprising a photoconductive semiconductor on said weak-link portion.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 30 words

A superconducting device according to claim 26, wherein the body is provided on a principal surface of a substrate, the c-axis of the substrate being parallel to the principal surface.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 40 words

A superconducting device according to claim 26, comprising additional superconductors on the at least one superconductor electrode, the additional superconductors having a different c-axis orientation than the c-axis orientation of the crystalline structure of the at least one superconductor electrode.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 36 words

A superconducting device according to claim 30, wherein the additional superconductors have a c-axis orientation perpendicular to the contact plane, and the at least one superconductor electrode has a c-axis orientation parallel to the contact plane.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 43 words

A superconducting device according to claim 26, wherein the crystalline structure of the oxide of which the at least one superconducting electrode is formed is selected from the group consisting of perovskite type crystalline structure and K 2 NiF 4 type crystalline structure.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1995-06-30	1995-12-30	1996-06-30	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1999-06-30	1999-12-30	2000-06-30	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2003-06-30	2003-12-30	2004-06-30	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

High tc superconducting device with weak link between two superconducting electrodes

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