Formation of thick YBa₂Cu₃O_{7- delta}and YBa₂Cu₃O_{7- delta}-Ag films on Y₂BaCuO₅and BaZrO₃substrates

Abstract

Resistivity and superconducting transition curves, critical current and morphology studies, using a scanning electron microscope, are reported for a series of YBa2Cu3O7- delta and YBa2Cu3O7- delta +5, 10 and 20 wt.% Ag thick films. The above are studied for various maximum processing temperatures on supposedly inert substrates made from both Y2BaCuO5 and BaZrO3. The width of the best transition curves is about 10 K for the Y2BaCuO5 and 5 K for the BaZrO3 substrates. For BaZrO3 substrates the onset temperature is severely reduced. The addition of Ag is shown to improve the transition curves and the critical current densities. In all cases the critical current densities are much lower than the best values previously reported.