High performance superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O tapes produced by oxidation of metallic precursors

A metallic precursor fabrication route has been developed for the productio n of multifilamentary tapes of textured YBa2Cu3O7-delta in a silver matrix. The number of filaments in prototype tapes ranged from 10 to 1024 with fil ament thickness from 1 to 40 microns, Following low temperature oxidation o f the metallic precursor, we explored conditions for YBa2Cu3O7-delta format ion similar to those used in the growth of epitaxial thin films, The YBa2Cu 3O7-delta phase was observed to grow near the Cu-I/Cu-II boundary, The grow th step was followed by a low temperature anneal in one atm of oxygen. J(c) and T-c values were found to depend strongly on processing conditions. Wit h optimum processing, a T-c of 90K and a J(c) of 20kA/cm(2) at 65K, were me asured. XRD patterns of chemically etched surfaces of the processed tapes g ave some evidence for epitaxial alignment of the YBa2Cu3O7-delta with the p re-textured silver matrix.