YBa2Cu3O6+d superconductive crystals are formed by top-seeded solution
growth under a temperature gradient in which the nutrient is a Y2BaCu
O5 phase on the bottom and the solvent is molten barium cuprate with t
he cation ratio of Ba:Cu = 3:5. The crystal misorientation (< 0.2 degr
ees) was determined by neutron diffraction. The superconducting transi
tion temperature was about 90 K after appropriate oxygenation. Praseod
ymium-substituted crystals, (PrxY1+/-x)Ba2Cu3O6+d, were also grown by
adding PrBaO3 + BaCuO2 . 2CuO into the solution. We observed different
types of growth steps on crystallographically different surfaces. The
growth steps on the (001) face were formed by one lattice constant of
c-axis height, while those on the (100) face were composed of macrost
eps 60 nm high and microsteps about 1 nm high.