Microstructural characterization of YBaCuO thin films deposited by rf magnetron sputtering as a function of annealing conditions

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Journal of Materials Research; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1991.0252· OSTI ID:6259243

Ece, M; Vook, R W ^[1]; Allen, J P ^[2]

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1. Physics Department, Syracuse University, 201 Physics Building, Syracuse, New York (US)
2. CVC Products Inc., Rochester, New York (US)

Thin films of Y{sub 1}Ba{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{ital x}} have been prepared on MgO, SrTiO{sub 3}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrates by rf magnetron sputtering. A buffer layer of SrTiO{sub 3} was deposited on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} by flash evaporation. The as-deposited films on MgO and SrTiO{sub 3}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} had an (00{ital l}) orientation whereas the films on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} were randomly oriented. The lattice parameters along the c-axis for the as-deposited films on MgO and SrTiO{sub 3}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} were longer than the value for bulk crystals and decreased by annealing in oxygen. The critical temperatures ({ital T}{sub {ital c}}) of the superconducting transitions increased with gradual shortening of the {ital c} lattice parameter. These changes in {ital T}{sub {ital c}}'s and {ital c}'s were attributed to the reduction in the concentration of crystal defects formed during sputter deposition. A detailed x-ray diffraction study of YBaCuO on MgO and SrTiO{sub 3}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} was carried out and values for the particle sizes and nonuniform strain were obtained by using an integral breadth method. It was observed that changes in {ital T}{sub {ital c}} were related to the reduction in nonuniform strain. The presence of preferred orientation and grain growth after annealing was also studied. The highest {ital T}{sub {ital c}}'s tended to occur when the (00{ital l}) texture was strongest.

• OSTI ID: 6259243
• Journal Information: Journal of Materials Research; (USA), Vol. 6:2; ISSN 0884-2914
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BARIUM OXIDES
MICROSTRUCTURE
COPPER OXIDES
YTTRIUM OXIDES
ANNEALING
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
FILMS
LATTICE PARAMETERS
SPUTTERING
STRAINS
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
COHERENT SCATTERING
COPPER COMPOUNDS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DIFFRACTION
HEAT TREATMENTS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SCATTERING
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
YTTRIUM COMPOUNDS
360202* - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Structure & Phase Studies
360204 - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Physical Properties