HIGH-RATE DEPOSITION OF THICK EPITAXIAL-FILMS BY THERMAL PLASMA FLASHEVAPORATION

Various thermal plasma deposition methods have been widely applied to high-rate and large-area preparation of high-quality films with specia l structures ranging from nano-crystalline to epitaxial. The thermal p lasma flash evaporation (TPFE) method is one of the most promising one s for epitaxial film preparation. In this paper, our recent progress o f the process characterizations of TPFE and its application to high-ra te deposition of thick epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7-X films are reviewed. Speci al emphasis is given to the role of nanometer-scale clusters generated in a boundary layer between a plasma and a substrate in epitaxial fil m deposition.