Directional solidification of YBaCuO thick films deposited by screen printing on Ag and Ag–Pd tapes

Abstract

Textured tapes of Ag{1 1 0} and polycrystalline tapes of Ag–Pd(0.5–12.5%) alloys have been prepared by cold rolling as possible substrates for deposition of high critical current density YBCO films. The Ag{1 1 0} texture with some twins was promoted by recrystallization after cold rolling from ingots prepared by melting and solidification of Ag powders. Nevertheless, no textured tapes were obtained by cold rolling from Ag–Pd alloys with Pd>0.5%. YBCO thick films (10–30 μm) were deposited on the metallic tapes by screen printing using organic inks. Biaxially textured superconducting thick films were observed on the Ag{1 1 0} substrates at low solidification rates. Nevertheless, uniaxial texture with some biaxial colonies of YBCO grains were found on Ag–Pd alloys when the superconducting phase was solidified at high rate.