Epitaxial Films of High Tc Oxide Superconductors Y1Ba2Cu3O7 Grown on SrTiO3 by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Abstract

ABSTRACTOrientation ordered high-Tc oxide films of Y1Ba2Cu3O7 were prepared by molecular beam epitaxy on SrTiO3 substrates. A combination of effusion cells and e-beam evaporators was used with the addition of an oxygen jet. The superconducting phase is formed by further O2 anneal at temperatures ≥800° C. For SrTiO3 (100), the Y1Ba2Cu3O7 films grow in the orientation of either the c-axis or the a-axis perpendicular to the film plane. Films with predominant “c⊥” orientation exhibit a high degree of crystalline order with a rocking curve 0.3° wide. The Jc is about two times higher than those with the “a⊥” orientation of a comparable Tc (R=0). For a typical film of 9000Å thickness, a Tc (R=O) of 87K, and a Jc of 7 × 104 A/cm2 at 77K were reproducibly achieved. For SrTiO3 (110), X-ray showed twinning of (110) and (103) orientations in Y1Ba2Cu3O7, thus precluding the observation of anisotropy expected for the in-plane axes of [001] and [110].