Epitaxial nucleation and growth of buffer layers and Y123 coated conductors deposited by metal-organic decomposition

Abstract

Solution-based deposition of buffer and superconductor layers offers routes to a low-cost YBCO coated conductor technology for high temperature superconductor tapes. In this work we explore the possibility of the preparation procedure of BaZrO 3 buffer and YBCO layers on SrTiO 3 (STO) single crystal substrates by metal-organic decomposition. BaZrO 3 buffer layers have been processed on single crystal substrates using a precursor solution based on barium acetate and zirconium 2,4-pentadionate in acetic acid. YBCO superconducting films were prepared on STO single crystals using trifluoroacetate precursors. X-ray diffraction and pole figure analyses denote good phase purity and high in-plane alignment (<1.5°). SEM and AFM microstructural studies evidence a low degree of roughness and porosity of the layer. These techniques together with μ-Raman spectroscopy, transverse SEM observations, and studies by SQUID magnetometry exhibit the existent relation between the different microstructural characteristics and their superconducting properties.