Ion assisted deposition of biaxially aligned YSZ layers on metal tape

Abstract

Biaxially aligned Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) on amorphous or polycrystalline substrates is very interesting for the development of YBCO coated conductors. Most of the techniques that have been used for the deposition of biaxially aligned YSZ are not suited for continuous deposition on a moving substrate (e.g. metal tape). Using a specifically modified sputter source, which generates a beam of ions directed towards the substrate under a controllable angle of incidence, a deposition process for biaxially aligned YSZ has been developed. XRD pole figures demonstrate that biaxial alignment can be achieved on different substrate materials (glass, metal, polymer). The deposition process was optimized resulting in a high degree of biaxial alignment (pole figure FWHM ∼12°) on Hastelloy tape. It was also determined that the heat load during deposition was very high and that further optimization could be achieved by controlling the substrate temperature. Finally, the use of this deposition process for depositing biaxially aligned YSZ on a moving tape was demonstrated.