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Structural characterization of the Ag/YBCO interface

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5573221
This research is intended to characterize the interface microstructure and long-term stability of the deposited silver metal in contact with the superconducting oxide YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}x} (YBCO). High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observations of the interfacial regions reveal that Ag contacts to YBCO occurred without any intermediate phase formation at the interface. The Ag metal exhibits a preferred orientation relationship with YBCO, in which the densely packed planes and directions of the metal are parallel to those of the superconductor. Annealing of the Ag/YBCO interface resulted in outdiffusion of yttrium and oxygen at regions where the surface of YBCO was rough. This diffusion, however, did not result in the formation of continuous layers at the Ag/YBCO interface but only to growth of Ag{sub 2}Y and Ag{sub 2}O inclusions. Thus it is believed that the stability of the Ag/YBCO depends on the quality of the surface of YBCO, especially its structure. Treatment of the surface of YBCO by ion-bombardment yielded flat surfaces but damaged a layer of about 30{angstrom}. Such a cleaning process improved the quality of the deposited Ag since the Ag grains were larger and contained low defects concentration.
Research Organization:
California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States)
OSTI ID:
5573221
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English