Simplified Wide-Web IBAD Templates for Low-cost HTS Wire

Current REBCO tapes are very expensive (=$100/kAm) and suffer from defects along the length. In order to enable scale up of REBCO production and improve consistency, iBeam Materials propose to demonstrate the first ever wide-web ion-beam assisted deposition (IBAD) texturing process and a route for further simple scaling of IBAD templates for REBCO tapes. In this project we will demonstrate three innovations in the IBAD template production that will simplify the template architecture and production processes, while improving their quality. These innovations in our estimate will result in a greater than 10x cost reduction for template production and enable further cost reductions in scaled-up REBCO tapes. The REBCO superconducting performance will be evaluated by REBCO tape manufacturer and tool maker partners. Using a novel concept for a compact geometry in IBAD texturing we will fabricate up to 150 mm (6") wide metal foil in a process that is further scalable to 500 mm (20") width with standard ion sources. Furthermore, thanks to many years of our research into the IBAD process and new experimental data, we will use this compact geometry to obtain the best texture in an extremely high-throughput process. A single production tool based on this technology can have more than 20x the capacity of tools that exists today. We will also demonstrate the use of chemical solution deposition in a wide foil fabrication method for IBAD base layer deposition and the planarization of metal substrates in preparation for IBAD deposition. This Solution Deposition Planarization (SDP) process will simplify manufacturing, make it easier for manufacturers to switch substrates, and reduce the environmental impact by replacing toxic-waste-generating electropolishing processes. Additionally, we will demonstrate the use of reactive sputtering in IBAD, which will simplify the long-length roll-to-roll (R2R) process in manufacturing. This approach is expected to improve the quality and uniformity of the template and enhance crystalline texture consistency along the tape length. Our work will utilize R&D R2R systems to demonstrate these technologies. By making modifications to our existing equipment at iBeam, we can quickly make significant progress on this project. We aim to complete all proposed work (Phase I and II) within two years, with the final months focused on collaboration and sample exchanges with REBCO tape and tool manufacturers. Instead of promoting a single solution, we will offer our partners a range of demonstrated options resulting from this SBIR project. By working closely with our partners, we intend to implement these innovations into real-world production tools as swiftly as possible. This Phase I proposal focuses on preparation of smooth wide tapes for IBAD texturing deposition. Upon successful completion of the Phase I project, iBeam Materials will be capable of producing smooth wide foils for IBAD in up to 150 mm wide format.