Preparation of NdBa2Cu3Oy thin films by mist ICP evaporation

Thin films of NdBa2Cu3Oy superconductor were prepared on MgO(100) substrate s by mist ICP evaporation using organometallic sol in which alkoxides of ea ch metal element were dissolved in organic solvents as a source material. T his method is one of high-temperature plasma deposition techniques introduc ing source material into ICP (inductively coupled plasma). It was important to control substrate-plasma distance and oxygen partial pressure in the ch amber to obtain (00l) peaks of NdBa2Cu3Oy superconductor, and this as-depos ited film was also highly in-plane-oriented along the a-axis and b-axis. Fu rthermore, the surface morphology of this film was composed of rectangular shapes of grains. The superconducting transition temperature T-c for the po st-annealed film was 91-92 K. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights res erved.