In the context of CSD-MOD growth of coated conductors for low cost and scalable production of YBCO coated conductors, new solutions are proposed in accordance with the new requirements concerning environmental safety and product performance. Looking at these objectives we will present here our work in the preparation of metallorganic precursor solutions with reduced fluorine content, which fulfill the requirements of superconducting YBCO epitaxial layers, leading to high superconducting performance. Solutions with low fluorine precursors with different solvents and amounts of additives have been stabilized and their rheology modified for substrate wettability. Thermal decomposition analysis and infrared spectroscopy performed directly in films, have revealed the different decomposition steps and NMR analysis could unveil the chemical reactions taking place in the solution. Upon optimization of the growth process parameters, T c and J c (77K) of 90 K and 3-4 MA/cm 2 are obtained.

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Postprint (published version

Postprint (published version

We report the preparation of a novel type of composites films by chemical solution deposition. It consists of an epitaxial oxide on a single crystal template inside which an oxide fiber network is dispersed. Electrospinning is used for the deposition of the fiber network whereas the continuous epitaxial phase is spin-coated. Good coating is observed between the liquid precursor of the continuous oxide and the fibers and remarkably, epitaxial (001) growth of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x is not affected by the presence of the fiber network because both oxides do not react to each other. Topological continuity of the continuous phase is probed by electrical conductivity measurements, rendering nearly the same values reported for fiber-free films. Mechanical properties are determined by nanoindentation at low penetration depths to avoid the effect of the single crystal beneath the composite. Enhanced mechanical properties are found (hardness, Young's modulus, elastic recovery and wear resistance).