Controlled growth of bulk bicrystals and the investigation of microstructure-property relations of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub {ital x}} grain boundaries

Journal Article · Sun Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.117209· OSTI ID:397407

Todt, V R; Zhang, X F; Miller, D J ^[1]; Louis-Weber, M; Dravid, V P ^[2]

---

1. Materials Science Division and Science and Technology Center for Superconductivity, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)
2. Northwestern University and Science and Technology Center for Superconductivity, Materials Science & Engineering, Evanston, Illinois 60208 (United States)

A new method to prepare bicrystals with well defined planar interfaces in YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub {ital x}} (Y123) has been developed. The bicrystal misorientation is controlled by dual seeding using Nd{sub 1+{ital x}}Ba{sub 2{minus}{ital x}}Cu{sub 3}O{sub {ital y}} single crystals. The grain boundary plane orientation is influenced by the positioning of the seeds and by control of the temperature gradient. The macro-, meso-, and microscopic planarity of the grain boundaries has been established by optical and electron microscopy. In addition, a difference in critical current density between the low ({le}10{degree}) and the high ({ge}20{degree}) misorientation angle regime of nearly two orders of magnitude has been established in a series of [001]-tilt grain boundaries. Thus, this type of grain boundary may allow a less ambiguous interpretation of the relationship between microstructure and transport properties than is possible from bicrystal thin film boundaries by eliminating the potential variations in properties associated with a varying grain boundary plane. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 397407
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 24 Vol. 69; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BARIUM OXIDES
BICRYSTALS
COPPER OXIDES
CRITICAL CURRENT
CRYSTAL GROWTH
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
MICROSTRUCTURE
YTTRIUM OXIDES