SUPERCONDUCTING YNI2B2C THIN-FILMS PREPARED BY PULSED-LASER DEPOSITION

Thin films of the intermetallic superconducting compound YNi2B2C have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition. The YNi2B2C phase was formed during the deposition process at a substrate temperature of 860 degre es C (in situ) or after deposition by post-annealing. Polycrystalline, c-axis oriented films were obtained on MgO and Al2O3 substrates. Post -annealed and in situ grown YNi2B2C films showed inductively measured transition temperatures up to 15 K with typical transition widths of a pproximate to 0.5 K. The electrical and magnetic properties of the fil ms like rho(T), B-c2(T), J(c)(T) and M(H) at 5 K were measured. The B- c2(T) dependence showed a linear behaviour and the low temperature cri tical current density J(c)(5 K) was 8 X 10(5) A/cm(2). (C) 1997 Elsevi er Science B.V.