Thin film processes for high-temperature superconductors

Thin film processes have opened up new directions for research in the field of high-temperature superconductors, including the study of their fundamental physical properties, their application in electronics, and the synthesis of new superconducting compounds. In the past few years great progress has been achieved. Uniform, double-sided wafers with large surface area are now being made for passive electronics components. Advances in atomic layer engineering of precise heterostructures and multilayers are bringing forth a new generation of active devices. In spite of this progress, many challenges still remain in improving the control of thin film growth and understanding film microstructure.