Properties of cathodic arc deposited high-temperature superconducting composite thin films on Ag substrates

Abstract

High temperature superconducting composite thin films on Ag substrates were prepared by cathodic arc deposition of alloy precursors. The deposition technique employed a cathode comprised of a precursor alloy for the vacuum arc plasma source. The precursor alloy was prepared by multiple arc-melting of mixed metallic constituents of the high-temperature superconducting material Bi 2Sr 2CaCu 2O y (Bi2212) and 50 wt.% of Ag. The presence of silver in the precursor alloy film was expected to allow accommodation of the lattice and thermal expansion mismatch between the oxidized film and the silver substrate. The as-deposited film could be formed to practically any desirable shape before being subjected to heat treatments. Following deposition, controlled oxidation of the precursor alloy thin film on the Ag substrate was performed to produce the superconducting composite on the silver substrate. After the heat treatment, the composite film consisted of Bi2212 highly c-axis oriented normal to the Ag substrate.