A process for the preparation of a superconducting, epitaxial ybacuo - layer

摘要

A thin film, fluorinated, ceramic defect-oxide type superconducting material grown on a substrate such as sapphire or stainless steel. The superconducting material is characterized by basal plane alignment of the unit cells thereof even though the substrate does not possess a perovskite-type lattice structure. A laser ablation technique is used to evaporate material from a fluorinated pellet of target material to deposit the fluorinated superconducing material on the substrate, which is heated during the deposition process. The instant invention provides for a low pressure and relatively low temperature method of depositing a superconducting film which is characterized by (1) a minimal number of high angle grain boundaries typically associated with polycrystalline films, and (2) aligned a, b, and c axes of the unit cells thereof so as to provide for enhanced current carrying capacities. Further, the method of this invention provides for the deposition of superconducting material without a post deposition anneal. Large area, irregularly shaped rolls of inexpensive substrate material can be uniformly covered by the method described herein.