One-step sol-gel growth of textured buffer layers on cold-rolled Ni substrates for coated conductor fabrication

We report a newly developed simple one-step annealing process, namely the simultaneous texture (STEX) technique, for cheap and convenient fabrication of buffer layers on rolled Ni tapes. Textured CeO₂ buffer layers have been prepared using this new process from solutions of cerium nitrite in acetyl acetone. Ba_xSr_1-xTiO₃ buffer layers have also been prepared from solutions of strontium acetate, barium acetate, titanium (IV) butoxide in 2-metoxyethanol and acetic acid. For both cases, an analysis of X-ray diffraction omega and phi scans indicates that cube-on-cube texture formation takes place during STEX processing. The possible mechanisms related to the STEX method are analyzed and discussed. The preparation of multi-layer configurations, and of subsequent YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x (YBCO) film growth on STEX-prepared buffer layers is also reported.