Microstructural characterization of TFA-MOD processed Y1−xGdxBa2Cu3O7−y with BaZrO3

Abstract

Y1−xGdxBa2Cu3O7−y with BaZrO3 film was fabricated on CeO2 buffered LaMnO3/ion beam assisted deposition-MgO/Gd2Zr2O7/Hastelloy C276TM substrates by the metal organic deposition process using trifluoroacetates. Both microstructural and analytical characterizations were performed by transmission electron microscopy with selected area electron diffraction method and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The thickness of Y1−xGdxBa2Cu3O7−y with BaZrO3 film was found approximately 700nm and the film was composed of c-axis oriented Y1−xGdxBa2Cu3O7−y grains. Several types of particles, (Y,Gd)2Cu2O5, CuO and BaZrO3, were formed within the Y1−xGdxBa2Cu3O7−y film, whose sizes were about 100–200nm for (Y,Gd)2Cu2O5 and CuO particles, and about 10–20nm for BaZrO3 particles, respectively. In the Y1−xGdxBa2Cu3O7−y film, (Y,Gd)2Cu2O5 and CuO particles were dispersed heterogeneously, whereas BaZrO3 nanoparticles were found dispersed homogeneously with random orientation. In addition, electron tomographic observation was carried out to attain the three-dimensional information of polyhedral BaZrO3 nanoparticles.