Non-epitaxial and epitaxial growth of A15 Nb 3Si by sputtering

Abstract

The sputtering of niobium and silicon with low energy argon and krypton ions onto a silica glass substrate at 550–600 °C from an Nb-Si target containing 73–80 at.% Nb produces deposits of a b.c.c. niobium solid solution of silicon and A15 Nb 3Si with a lattice parameter a 0 of 518–519 pm and a superconducting transition temperature T c of 5.3–7.55 K. If niobium and silicon are sputtered onto epitaxially effective A15 Ti 3Au substrates, higher temperatures (640–670 °C) can be used. A well-crystallized A15 Nb 3Si structure is thus produced for which a 0 = 509 pm, the theoretically required value and T c = 9.4 K.