Properties of YBa2Cu3O7-delta multilayer films from the fluoride-based sol-gel process

The inability to rapidly grow thick or multilayer epitaxial films for eithe r electronic or electrical power applications limits the utility of fluorid e-based processes for YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO). This problem is due to the us e of water vapor in the growth process, necessary for the dissociation of m etallofluorides. Flowing wet gas at low temperatures is corrosive to cuprat es and responsible for destroying underlying YBCO layers in attempts to gro w secondary layers. This is avoided simply by increasing the temperature wh ere vapor is introduced into the growth ambient. Resulting two-layer films of YBCO have properties similar to those of high critical current density s ingle-layer films.