K. Verbist et al., MICROSTRUCTURAL COMPARISON OF YBA2CU3O7-X THIN-FILMS LASER-DEPOSITED IN O-2 AND O-2 AR AMBIENT/, Physica. C, Superconductivity, 269(1-2), 1996, pp. 131-138
The use of a diluted O-2/Ar atmosphere-for laser deposition of YBa2Cu3
O7-x thin films results in a strong decrease of the surface outgrowth
density as compared to deposition in pure O-2. The smoother films need
a longer oxygenation period and show slightly lower critical current
densities; though still in excess of 10(6) A cm(-2) at 77 K. Electron
microscopy revealed that the outgrowths mainly consist of a large copp
er-oxide grain connected to Y2O3 grains. Y2O3 nano-scale inclusions ar
e present irrespective of the deposition atmosphere, however at remark
ably low densities compared to other literature data. We find that the
twin plane density is lower and the twin structure more homogeneous i
n the case of films deposited in a mixture of O-2/Ar. This we ascribe
to the absence of surface outgrowths which seem to block regular twin
structure formation. Possibly the differences in necessary post deposi
tion oxygenation time and in the electrical properties should be found
in the difference in twin structure.