TRANSMISSION ELECTRON STUDY OF HETEROEPITAXIAL GROWTH IN THE BISRCACUO SYSTEM

Films of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 and Bi2Sr2CuO6 have been grown using Atomic-Lay er-by-layer Molecular Beam Epitaxy (ALL-MBE) on lattice-matched substr ates. These materials have been combined with layers of closely relate d metastable compounds like Bi2Sr2Ca7Cu8O20 (2278) and rare-earth-dope d compounds like Bi2Sr2DyxCa1-xCu2O8 (Dy:2212) to form heterostructure s with unique superconducting properties, including superconductor/ins ulator multilayers and tunnel junctions. Transmission electron microsc opy (TEM) has been used to study the morphology and microstructure of these heterostructures. These TEM studies shed light on the physical p roperties of the films, and give insight into the growth mode of highl y anisotropic solids like Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8.