THIN CONDUCTIVE FILMS FOR DIFFUSION BARRIERS AND CONTACTS TO STABILIZE YBA(2)CU(3)O(7) SUPERCONDUCTORS

NEW CERAMIC POLYCRYSTALLINE SUPERCONDUCTING MATERIALS SUCH AS YBA(2)CU(3)O(7) ARE NOT STABLE, SHOWING BOTH LOSS OF OXYGEN AND RAPID DEGRADATION OF PROPERTIES IN AIR AS CHEMICAL REATIONS REMOVE BARIUM FROM THE TRINARY METAL OXIDE CRYSTAL LATTICE, CREATING MORESTABLE BINARY METAL OXIDE COMPOUNDS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WOULD EXAMINE THIN CONDUCTIVE FILMS KNOWN TO ACT AS DIFFUSION BARRIERS AND DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING THEM TO STABILIZE THE 1-2-3 COMPOUNDS. SPECIFIC MATERIALS ARE SUGGESTED IN PROPRIETARY SECTIONS OF THIS PROPOSAL. THE BARRIER WOULD BE DEPOSITED UPON A SUBSTRATE, THEN A THIN FILM OF YBA(2)CU(3)O(7) WOULD BE DEPOSITED, THEN ANOTHER BARRIER LAYER. THE TIME REQUIRED FOR SUPERCONDUCTING PROPERTIES TO DEGRADE, WHEN COMPARED TO UNCOATED OR SILVER COATED MATERIALS, WOULD DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS APPROACH USING THE SUGGESTED COMPOUNDS. OTHER PROPERTIES, SUCH AS CONTACT RESISTANCE AND ADHERENCE WOULD ALSO BE MEASURED.