Superconducting and structural properties of Nd[sub 2[minus][ital x]]Ce[sub [ital x]]CuO[sub 4[minus][ital y]] thin films on perovskite and fluorite substrates

Journal Article · Tue Feb 15 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Journal of Applied Physics; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.356318· OSTI ID:5254243

Mao, S N; Xi, X X; Li, Q; Venkatesan, T ^[1]; Beesabathina, D P; Salamanca-Riba, L ^[2]; Wu, X D ^[3]

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1. Center for Superconductivity Research, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States)
2. Center for Superconductivity Research, Materials and Nuclear Engineering Department, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States)
3. Superconductivity Technology Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

High quality epitaxial Nd[sub 2[minus][ital x]]Ce[sub [ital x]]CuO[sub 4[minus][ital y]] (NCCO) thin films were fabricated on various substrates by pulsed-laser deposition using N[sub 2]O reactive gas. The similarities and dissimilarities of the superconducting and structural properties of NCCO films, on perovskite-type substrates such as LaAlO[sub 3], NdGaO[sub 3], and SrTiO[sub 3] and on a fluorite-type substrate of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), were investigated systematically as a function of film thickness by transport measurements and structural analysis. A remarkable reduction of [ital T][sub [ital c]] was observed when the film was thinner than a critical thickness, which strongly depends on the substrate. The critical thicknesses for which [ital T][sub [ital c]] is 80% of [ital T][sub [ital c] max] are 1200, 1000, 600, and 450 A for LaAlO[sub 3], NdGaO[sub 3], SrTiO[sub 3], and YSZ, respectively. YSZ turns out to be the best candidate for the growth of very thin NCCO films among the substrates studied. These results show a strong correlation between the strain and [ital T][sub [ital c]] in NCCO thin films and point the way to the fabrication of [ital n]-type superconducting electric field devices using ultrathin NCCO films.

• OSTI ID: 5254243
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics; (United States) Vol. 75:4; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360207* -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Superconducting Properties-- (1992-)
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CERIUM COMPOUNDS
CERIUM OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER OXIDES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
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HALIDE MINERALS
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OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PEROVSKITES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
STRONTIUM COMPOUNDS
STRONTIUM TITANATES
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SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
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TITANATES
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TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
YTTRIUM COMPOUNDS
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ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES