GRAIN-GROWTH AND SEEDING OF THICK-FILMS OF YBA2CU3O7-DELTA ON YTTRIA-STABILIZED ZIRCONIA

The crystallographic features of thick YBCO films fabricated on YSZ su bstrates have been studied using optical and magnetooptical microscopi es and the areas with the largest J(c) have been identified as the den dritic arms growing along the corners of the crystallites formed in th e films. A dendritic growth mechanism has been proposed by which these crystallographic features grow. By seeding the thick films with Nd (1 23) and Gd (123) single crystals extensive grain growth was nucleated in the vicinity of the crystals at firing temperatures of 1030 degrees C and 1050 degrees C.