Pulsed laser deposition of high-Tc superconducting YBa2Cu3Ox thin films in Ar/O2 atmosphere

Abstract

Electrical and structural properties of superconducting YBa2Cu3Ox thin films, obtained with pulsed laser deposition in an Ar/O2 mixture at different oxygen partial pressures and constant total pressure, were studied. NdGaO3 (110) and LaAlO3 (001) substrates were used. The crystal quality of the films was found to correlate to the contents of inclusions with the axis oriented normal to the substrate plane. The increase of argon partial pressure resulted in decrease of particle density on the film surface to less than 106 cm−2, accompanied by an increase of a-oriented phase content and a rapid fall of the critical temperature from 91 K to 80 K