Metal-organic deposition of YBCO and BSCCO platelets, films and wires

Summary

Metal-Organic Deposition (MOD) technique has been used for the first time, in the spray version, to obtain thin and thick films of BSCCO on substrates like MgO and Ag and, in the dipping version, to deposit YBCO thick films directly on a thin Ag wire. Diffraction data show that BSCCO films are textured and oriented with their normal axis along the [001] direction. Electron microprobe data confirm a strong presence of (2212) modification of BSCCO. The YBCO/Ag wire is very uniform, as confirmed by SEM micrographs, and shows a transition temperature around 90 K. Thick films and platelets of YBCO have been also prepared by metalorganic solution spraying and by using a commercial microwave oven in the last annealing stage, reducing the duration of this step from several hours to about 65 minutes. YBCO samples show good stoichiometry, a very smooth surface morphology and transition temperatures, as measured by a.c. susceptometry at low magnetic fields, which are around 90 K. Films, deposited on MgO, are oriented with their growth axis along the [005] direction and, if deposited on SrTiO₃, along the [006] direction. Physical, chemical, structural and morphological properties of these HTSC samples obtained by MOD are presented and discussed, with the conclusion that this technique, which is simple, flexible, suitable for large surface areas, for ribbons and for wires, has achieved a good stage of maturity.