THE PREPARATION OF THIN FILM SUPERCONDUCTORS BY CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION OF VOLATILE METAL CHEMLATES

A NOVEL TECHNIQUE FOR THE PREPARATION OF THIN FILMS OF THE RARE EARTH/BARIUM/COPPER OXIDE SUPERCONDUCTORS IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT IN THIS PROJECT. VOLATILE FLUORINATED BETA-DIKETONATE METAL CHELATES OF EU, YB, BA, AND CU WILL BESYNTHESIZED AND THIN FILMS OF MIXED METAL OXIDES, E.G., EUBA(2)CU(3)O(7), WILL BE PREPARED ON A SUITABLE SUBSTRATE BY CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION OF THE METALS IN THE PRESENCE OF OXYGEN. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THIS APPROACH TO THE FORMATION OF THIN FILMS OF SUPERCONDUCTING MATERIALS WILL OFFER MANY ADVANTAGES OVER THE SPUTTERING TECHNIQUES CURRENTLY EMPLOYED, INCLUDING FORMATION OF THE HIGH CRITICALTEMPERATURE (T(C)) MATERIALS AT LOWER TEMPERATURES, AND BETTER CONTROL OF FILM THICKNESS AND COMPOSITION. THE USE OF METAL COMPLEXES PREPARED FROM FLUORINATED BETA-DIKETONES COULD ALSO LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW SUPERCONDUCTING MATERIALS.