THIN-FILM HIGH-TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS FOR ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS

Research News: High-quality films of several superconducting materials are finding increasing applications. Thin films of materials such as YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO), Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 (TBCCO), and (Tl,Pb)Sr2CaCu2O7 (TPSCCO ) can be made by a variety of methods, including sputtering and pulsed laser deposition. Magnetron sputtering is now used exclusively by the authors, because it is reproducible, robust, amenable to scale-up, an d practised throughout the semiconductor industry. Additionally, sputt ered films have proven to have desirable properties in terms of micros tructure, surface resistance, and power handling.