MgB₂ thin films for superconducting electronics

This review article describes the developments over the last 30 months in the thin film growth and junction fabrication of superconducting MgB ₂, including a brief summary of the chemistry and physics of MgB ₂. The most serious problem is the high Mg vapour pressure required for the phase stability. This problem makes in situ film growth difficult. So, most of the initial efforts were performed by two-step growth, namely ex situ post-annealing. Later, in situ physical vapour deposition and recently in situ chemical vapour deposition were reported. Each growth method is described in detail and compared. The past efforts at fabricating MgB₂ junctions are summarized, and the future prospects for MgB₂ superconducting electronics are briefly described.