Design Improvement and Measurement of a Rapid Single Flux Quantum Confluence Buffer

Rapid Single flux quantum (RSFQ) confluence buffer is widely used in complex superconductive digital circuits. In this work, we have improved the currently used confluence buffer and obtained a more soundly designed confluence buffer. In simulations, improvements in the bias margins of 11 % and the global margins of 10%, compared to the previously used confluence buffer, were achieved. Global margins are very important in estimating a process error range allowed in fabrications. We used two circuit simulation tools, WRspice and Julia, to design and optimize the confluence buffer. We used Xic to obtain a mask layout. We fabricated the improved circuits by using Nb technology. The test results at low frequency showed that the improved confluence buffer operated correctly and had a very wide main bias margin of +/-43% enhanced from +/-26% of the previously used confluence buffer.