Fabrication of long lengths of epitaxial buffer layers on biaxially textured nickel substrates using a continuous reel-to-reel dip-coating unit

A low-cost, nonvacuum, solution precursor route has been developed to produ ce epitaxial oxide buffer layers of Eu2O3 or La2Zr2O7 on biaxially textured Ni (100) tapes. A reel-to-reel continuous dip-coating unit consisting of a constant-tension tape transport system attached to a controlled atmosphere furnace was fabricated. Nickel tapes were pulled through a 2-methoxyethano l solution of europium methoxyethoxide/acetate or lanthanum zirconium metho xyethoxide. The double-sided dip coated tapes were then annealed in a prehe ated furnace at 1000 degrees -1100 degreesC with a high flow rate of Ar/H-2 (4%) gas. The dip-coated buffers were dense, continuous, crack-free, and e pitaxial with a single cube texture. A critical current (J(c)) of >1 MA/cm( 2) at 77 K and self-field was obtained for YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) films wit h a layer sequence of YBCO (ex situ BaF2 process)/CeO2 (sputtered)/YSZ (spu ttered)/Eu2O3 (dip-coated)/nickel, We have produced 1-2 m lengths of epitax ial buffer layers on textured nickel substrates using a nonvacuum process f or the first time.