X-Ray Diffraction Characterization of Thin Superconductive Films

Abstract

The physical and mechanical properties of thin films are often different from the properties of bulk material and are dictated by the film/substrate orientation relationship, crystal anisotropy and crystalgraphic texture of the film. X-ray diffraction texture analysis provides information about preferential film growth and can be used for optimization of deposition parameters and prediction of properties of thin films. An x-ray back reflection technique using the Braga-Brentano geometry with experimental corrections for absorption and defocusing was used to study thin ceramic films deposited by combustion chemical vapor deposition (CCVD). The film/substrate orientation relationships of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} (YBCO) superconducting thin films deposited via CCVD on single crystal MgO and polycrystalline silver substrates were studied. The as-deposited films on single crystal (100) MgO substrates showed strong preferential growth with the basal plane parallel to the substrate surface (c-axis up growth). Texture analysis showed two in-plane alignment orientations of the film with respect to the substrate, with YBCO [100] and [110] aligned with the [100] MgO substrate. YBCO films deposited on cold-rolled polycrystalline silver displayed c-axis up growth indicating that the orientation of the polycrystalline substrate (brass type texture) did not induce detectable in-plane preferential growth of the YBCO.