Biaxially Oriented YBCO Thin Films on Non-Lattice Matched Substrate

Creare is developing a novel technique for forming biaxially oriented thin and thick films of high temperature superconductor YBa(2)Cu(3)O(x) on non-lattice matched substrates. These films should display high critical current densities because they will avoid the weak link problem that occurs between misaligned grains. Presently, the only effective means of achieving biaxial alignment is to either deposit films onto a limited selection of lattice matched single crystal substrates which are expensive, or by melt texturing techniques which are extremely slow. This project will establish the feasibility of Creare's seeded liquid precursor technology for production of biaxially oriented YBCO films on polycrystalline MgO substrates. Our technique is amenable to either large area thin films or continuous processing for the production of wires and tapes and offers an economical and technical solution to YBCO application limitations.