Processing of Y123 coated conductors using metal organic decomposition

Processing of Y123 and barium zirconate films using scalable metal organic decomposition (MOD) techniques and their application to the development of coated conductors is investigated. Thick films of Y123 have been processed on single crystal substrates using the decomposition of metal trifluoroacetates. X-ray diffraction and pole figure analysis of films deposited on [100] strontium titanate and lanthanum aluminate single crystal substrates show that these films have good phase purity and a very high degree of alignment with the substrate both out-of-plane (<0.5/spl deg/) and in-plane (<1.5/spl deg/). These chemically derived films were also found to have critical current densities greater than 0.5 MA/cm/sup 2/ at 77 K for 0.5 /spl mu/m thick films. Barium zirconate films have been processed on single crystal substrates using the decomposition of a stoichiometric mixture of barium acetate and zirconium pentanedionate. X-ray characterization of these films shows a strong tendency to texture, and scanning electron micrographs of these films shows that they have an extremely smooth and uniform surface. Y123 films processed on these buffered single crystals have a dense microstructure with a strong tendency to texture. Thus, the possibility of application of these processing techniques on flexible substrates offers promise to the fabrication of long length coated conductors.