Investigation of Surface Roughness Effect on Transition Edge Sensor Microcalorimeters Using Multilayer Readout Wiring

We are developing a transition edge sensor (TES) using multilayer readout wiring for future X-ray astronomy satellites. Although we fabricated a first full 20 × 20 pixels TES array, we could not confirm transition of the TES. Considering possible causes, we focused on surface roughness of the TES film. We checked the fabrication process steps that can influence the surface roughness step by step, and changed wiring material (Al to Nb) and also a process condition of an ion milling. As a result, we succeeded to reduce the surface roughness from 4.5 to 2.5 nm rms at 1 m scale. However, the transition was not observed probably because the TES films in our samples with surface roughness more than ∼1 nm rms tend not to show the transition. Therefore, to suppress the surface roughness even more, we discuss possible process effects and mitigations.