DEVELOPMENT OF DEVICE QUALITY SINGLE CRYSTAL THIN FILMS OF HIGH T(C) SUPERCONDUCTORS BY MOCVD

METAL ORGANIC CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION (MOCVD) IS A VAPOR PHASE EXPITAXIAL TECHNIQUE WHICH HAS BEEN USED TO GROW HIGH PURITY SEMICONDUCTORS. THE MOCVD TECHNIQUE GIVES EXCELLENT CONTROL OVER COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE AND SURPASSES MOLECULAR BEAM EXPITAXY IN YIELD AND THROUGHPUT OF MATERIAL. EMCORE PROPOSES TO APPLY THE MOCVD TECHNIQUE TO HIGH T(C) SUPERCONDUCTORS. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH ARE (1) TO DETERMINE THE MOCVD PARAMETERS FOR THE REPRODUCIBLE AND CONTROLLABLE DEPOSITION OF STOICHIOMETRIC THIN FILMS OF YBA(2)CU(3)O(7-X) AND RELATED COMPOUNDS, AND (2) TO ESTABLISH THE OPTIMAL CONDITIONS FOR EPITAXIAL GROWTH OF THIN FILMS ON SINGLE CRYSTAL SUBSTRATES. ORGANOMETALLIC STARTING MATERIALS (PRECURSORS) FOR BA, Y, AND CU HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND WILL BE USED TO PRODUCE, FIRST, ELEMENTAL AND, THEN, QUATERNARY FILMS IN PHASE I OF THIS RESEARCH. EX-SITU AND IN-SITU OXIDATION TECHNIQUES WILL BE DEVELOPED. INITIALLY, RESISTIVITY AND SUSCEPTIBILITY WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY MATERIALS FOR DETAILED CHARACTERIZATION.