PATTERNING OF YBA2CU3O7-DELTA FILMS USING A NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL CONFIGURATION

Thin superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-delta films have been patterned by mean s of an arrangement employed in scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM). Standard SNOM probes were modified to achieve high transmissi on for direct writing by oxygen depletion in N-2 atmosphere. The writt en lines are about 1.5 mu m wide and show a semiconductor-like resisti vity behavior (delta greater than or equal to 0.5). The morphology of illuminated regions is about the same as that of the YBCO films.