1. A method of degassing a thin layer, the method comprising:
applying microwaves to a thin layer, the microwaves having a frequency corresponding to a resonance frequency of molecules of a gas impurity in the thin layer;
inducing a resonance of the molecules of the gas impurity present in the thin layer; and
removing the gas impurity from the thin layer.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the thin layer is a silicon thin film.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein applying microwaves includes applying microwaves having a wavelength within a range of 1 mm to 1 m.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein applying microwaves having a frequency includes applying microwaves having a frequency equal to a natural frequency of molecules of the gas impurity.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein applying microwaves includes applying microwaves having a wavelength within a range of 1 mm to 1 m.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein applying microwaves having a frequency includes applying microwaves having a frequency equal to a natural frequency of molecules of the gas impurity.
7. A method of manufacturing a silicon thin film, the method comprising:
forming a silicon thin film on a substrate; and
applying microwaves having a frequency to the silicon thin film;
inducing a resonance of molecules of a gas impurity present in the silicon thin film; and
removing the gas impurity from the silicon thin film.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein applying microwaves having a frequency includes applying microwaves having a frequency equal to a natural frequency of the molecules of the gas impurity.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein forming the silicon thin film includes using one of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and sputtering.
10. The method of claim 8, further comprising crystallizing the silicon thin film.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein forming the silicon thin film includes using one of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and sputtering.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein applying microwaves includes applying microwaves having a wavelength within a range between 1 mm and 1 m.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein forming the silicon thin film includes using one of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and sputtering.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising crystallizing the silicon thin film.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the silicon thin film includes using one of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and sputtering.
16. The method of claim 7, wherein forming the silicon thin film includes using one of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and sputtering.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein, during forming the silicon thin film, a gas used in forming the silicon thin film is drawn into the silicon thin film as the gas impurity.
18. The method of claim 7, further comprising crystallizing the silicon thin film.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein forming the silicon thin film includes using one of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and sputtering.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein crystallizing the silicon thin film includes heat treatment performed using excimer laser annealing.
21. The method of one of claim 7, wherein the substrate is formed of one of silicon, glass, and plastic.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A superconducting nanowire photon detector apparatus, comprising;
at least one substrate wafer, said substrate layer comprising an interconnection means disposed thereon;
at least one insulating layer; and
at least one detection layer, said detection layer comprising a plurality of super conducting detector elements being disposed on said insulating layer, each of said detector elements having an input, an output, and a superconducting resistance characteristic;
wherein said insulating layer is disposed between said substrate and said detection layer so as to insulate said interconnection means from said detection layer;
wherein said interconnection means further comprises means for:
routing signals input into said apparatus to the inputs of each of said plurality of detector elements; and
routing signals output from each of said plurality of detector elements out of said apparatus; and
wherein said insulating layer further comprises means for each of said inputs and outputs of each of said detector elements to make electrical contact with corresponding portions of said interconnection means.
2. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for each of said inputs and outputs of each of said detector elements to make electrical contact further comprises:
voids in said substrate coincident with the location of each of said inputs and outputs of each of said plurality of detector elements;
wherein said voids penetrate the thickness of said insulating layer; and
posts composed of superconducting material disposed therethrough each of said voids so as to electrically connect said inputs and said outputs of each of said detector elements to corresponding portions of said interconnection means.
3. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for routing signals comprises meandering conductors.
4. Apparatus of claim 3 wherein said each of detector elements, and each of said posts connected to said input and said output of said detector elements, form a bridge structure under which conductors not intended to be electrically connected to, pass.
5. Apparatus of claim 4 wherein the interface formed at the connection of each said input and said output of said detector elements and said posts is radiused so as to prevent current crowding.
6. Apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means for routing signals supports the flow of a bias current into said apparatus, through each said bridge structure, and out of said apparatus.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said bias current creates heating in said detector element to just below said detector’s critical temperature.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein photon impacts upon said detector element cause:
a rise in the resistance of said detector element; and
a diversion of said bias current from said detector element to other current paths among said meandering conductors.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said interconnection means routes said diverted bias currents out of said apparatus into a measurement means comprising a load resistance and a measurement device.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said insulating layer is comprised of materials which
retain insulating properties at super-cooled temperatures; and
are transparent to a desired wavelength.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the thickness of said detection layer is in the range of approximately 4 to 10 nanometers.
12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said measurement means further comprises an amplifier.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the resistance of said detector element, bias resistance and said load resistance are chosen such that:
RE>>RO>=RL
where RE is a resistance of the detector element at a given temperature;
RO is a bias resistance; and
RL is a load resistance.