CRYSTAL REGROWTH OF YBCO THIN-FILMS BY ION-IMPLANTATION AND RAPID THERMAL ANNEALING

The overall aim of this work is to engineer YBCO films with well-chara cterised crystal structures, by selective patterning, amorphisation, a nd annealing. Thin films (80 - 400 nm) of YBa2Cu3O7-delta, deposited b y sputtering onto LaAlO3 and MgO substrates, have been implanted at 20 0 keV with either Ne-20(+) or O-18(+) ions, to a dose of 5x10(14) ions cm(-2). Both implantations amorphise the film, in some cases totally. Oxygen implantation produces less damage than the inert gas. Rapid Th ermal Annealing (20 seconds, about 870 degrees C, in oxygen) can induc e recrystallisation, leading to a recovery of the superconducting 123 phase under certain conditions. Results from T-c, J(c), XRD, and TEM i nvestigations are presented.