Nucleation and texture formation of Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox grains on (Sr,Ca)(14)Cu24Ox plates in the Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2.1Ox/Ag system

During the partial melt-growth in the Bi2Sr2CaCu2.1Ox/Ag system, a Bi2Sr2Ca Cu2Ox (Bi-2212) phase formed via a reaction between a liquid and an (Sr,Ca) (14)Cu24Ox (14:24) phase. The Bi-2212 grains nucleated and grew with a c-ax is perpendicular to the interface of the 14:24 grains. A texture of Bi-2212 superconducting grains, having a c-axis perpendicular to silver sheaths, f ormed via two steps: the alignment of the textured Bi-free grains on the si lver-oxide compact interface and the formation of the textured Bi-2212 grai ns on the 14:24 phase with the same crystallographic orientation. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.