Study of the growth mechanism of highly in-plane aligned {ital a}-axis YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{ital x}} thin films on LaSrGaO{sub 4} substrate by high resolution electron microscopy

Journal Article · Sun Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Journal of Materials Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1996.0372· OSTI ID:432496

Wen, J G; Mahajan, S; Ohtsuka, H; Morishita, T; Koshizuka, N ^[1]

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1. Superconductivity Research Laboratory, ISTEC, 10-13, 1-chome, koto-ku, Tokyo 135 (Japan)

Highly in-plane aligned {ital a}-axis YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{ital x}} thin films deposited on (100) LaSrGaO{sub 4} substrates by a self-template method were studied by high-resolution electron microscopy along three orthogonal {l_angle}100{r_angle} axes of the substrate. Plan-view images confirm that the majority of the film preferentially aligns across the entire substrate except for very few misaligned domains with average size 10 nm{sup 2}. Cross-sectional images along the [100] orientation of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{ital x}} reveal that in-plane aligned {ital a}-axis YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{ital x}} is grown on a template layer dominated by {ital c}-axis oriented film. This strongly suggests that the in-plane alignment of {ital a}-axis YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{ital x}} thin films on (100) LaSrGaO{sub 4} substrates is governed by the different stresses along the {ital b} and {ital c} axes of the substrate. Cross-sectional images along [001] of the YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{ital x}} thin film reveal that the 90{degree} domains easily nucleate in the region between {ital a}-axis YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{ital x}} and the YBa{sub 4}Cu{sub 3}O{sub {ital x}} phase. Cracks along the (001) plane of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{ital x}} are found to be due to the large mismatch between the {ital c} parameters of the thin film and substrate. {copyright} {ital 1996 Materials Research Society.}

• OSTI ID: 432496
• Journal Information: Journal of Materials Research, Journal Name: Journal of Materials Research Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 11; ISSN JMREEE; ISSN 0884-2914
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BARIUM OXIDES
COPPER OXIDES
CRACKS
DEPOSITION
DOMAIN STRUCTURE
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
GALLIUM OXIDES
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
LANTHANUM OXIDES
MICROSTRUCTURE
SPUTTERING
STRONTIUM OXIDES
SUBSTRATES
SUPERCONDUCTING FILMS
THIN FILMS
YTTRIUM OXIDES