PROPERTIES OF YBA2CU3O7-DELTA THICK-FILMS ON FLEXIBLE BUFFERED METALLIC SUBSTRATES

We report superconducting and mechanical properties of YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) thick films on Ni-based alloys with a textured yttria-stabiliz ed zirconia (YSZ) buffer layer. The YBCO and YSZ layers were deposited by pulsed laser deposition and ion beam assisted deposition, respecti vely. It was found that the transport critical current density (J(c)) correlates very well with the YBCO mosaic spread. J, over 1x10(6) A/cm (2) at 75 K and similar to 1X10(7) A/cm(2) at 4 K were obtained in the 1-mu m thick YBCO films. Zero field critical current of 120 amps at 7 5 K was obtained in a 2-mu m-thick and l-cm-wide YBCO film. Angular de pendence measurement revealed J, peaks for both H parallel to c and H parallel to a-b. The peak for H parallel to c implies additional pinni ng due to defects such as small angle grain boundaries or twin boundar ies. Bending tests at 75 K showed that the YBCO thick films on the met allic substrates could sustain a strain of 0.4% and over 1% for tensio n and compression,respectively. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics .