Biaxially aligned YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) thin films were produced on polycrystalline Ni-based alloy, by using biaxial yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ) intermediate layers formed by off-normal ion-beam-assisted deposition. Most explicit in-plane alignment was obtained when the YSZ layer formed with the beam-incident angle of 55° from substrate normal. Jc-B characteristics and angular dependence of Jc on the magnetic field were measured. 5.0×105 and 5.5×104 A/cm2 were obtained at 77 K with 0 and 8 T, respectively. The distribution of misorientation angles of in-plane a and b axes between YBCO grains was evaluated by both x-ray pole figure measurement and planar observations of transmission electron microscopy. 50% of the grains had the misorientation angles restricted within ±5°. From the image of dislocations, the elastic strains at grain boundaries were estimated to be relaxed with lower misorientation angle. The high-Jc properties are understood to be obtained by the current paths through low-angle grain boundaries.
Biaxially aligned YSZ thin films with strong [100] fiber texture were formed on a polycrystalline Ni-based alloy by off-normal ion-beam-assisted deposition. Growth structures were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), etc., and the alignment mechanism was discussed using a selective growth model. Peculiar structural evolution of the crystalline orientation was observed and its development was well described by an exponential equation. It was explained as a collaboration of an anisotropic growth condition and epitaxial crystallization. The [100] fiber texture was formed by columnar structures of diameter of 30 -100 nm, which were composed of 5-10 nm diameter crystallites. Very smooth surfaces were observed by AFM imaging with a roughness of 2-3 nm and a peculiar ripple structure. The origin of the azimuthal alignment was discussed with emphasis on the surface structure of YSZ films produced using ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) and the etching rate measurements of (100) surfaces of YSZ single crystals.
Biaxially aligned YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) films were fabricated on random Ni-based alloy tapes with yttrium stabilized-zirconia (YSZ) buffer layers deposited by ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD). Ar+ ion bombardment was found to have two significant effects on the crystalline structure of the YSZ buffer layers: to align a [100] axis with the substrate normal and a [111] axis with the bombarding beam axis. The resulting YSZ films were biaxially aligned on the random polycrystalline tapes, and the azimuthal distribution of the a- and b-axes of YBCO films on the top of the YSZ films was restricted to 10° FWHM. A critical current density (Jc) of 1.13 × 106 A/cm2 (77 K, 0 T) was obtained, and 1.1 × 105 A/cm2 was maintained at 5 T (77 K, B⊥c). The existence of both intrinsic and extrinsic pinning properties was clearly observed in the angular dependence of Jc with B⊥I. The longitudinal field effect on Jc was clearly observed, which indicated straight transport currents. This is evidence for strongly coupled current paths that demonstrate the bulk pinning properties of YBCO.
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