Reducing quantum-regime dielectric loss of silicon nitride for superconducting quantum circuits

Abstract

The loss of amorphous hydrogenated silicon nitride (a-SiN$_{x}$:H) is measured at 30 mK and 5 GHz using a superconducting LC resonator down to energies where a single-photon is stored, and analyzed with an independent two-level system (TLS) defect model. Each a-SiN$_{x}$:H film was deposited with different concentrations of hydrogen impurities. We find that quantum-regime dielectric loss tangent $\tanδ_{0}$ in a-SiN$_{x}$:H is strongly correlated with N-H impurities, including NH$_{2}$. By slightly reducing $x$ we are able to reduce $\tanδ_0$ by approximately a factor of 50, where the best films show $\tanδ_0$ $\simeq$ 3 $\times$ 10$^{-5}$.

3 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. Accepted to Applied Physics Letters