GROWTH, GRAIN MISORIENTATION AND PROPERTIES OF HTS THIN-FILMS

The Inverted Cylindrical Magnetron Sputtering (ICM) is a reliable and reproducible method for the production of HTS thin films. This allows systematic studies of film growth as a function of various deposition parameters including deposition rate, substrate temperature (T(s)), fi lm thickness, substrate and buffer layer material. The demand for comp lex superconducting devices required a further development of the sput tering deposition technique. Examples are large area and double-sided coatings and the realization of deposition at reduced oxygen partial p ressure using metallic alloy targets. We report on such developments a nd on the growth of films with different orientation (e.g. a-axis film s) and on the growth of buffer layers of YSZ, CaTiO3 and CeO2 on R-pla ne sapphire.