High-Tc Thin Film and Electronic Devices

Abstract

A worldwide effort to develop high-temperature-superconductor thin films and electronic devices began within weeks of the initial discovery in early 1987 of superconductivity above liquid-nitrogen temperature. The ensuing period has seen remarkable progress, spurred by innovations in deposition technology, materials characterization and device design. Prospects for practical electronic applications of superconductivity have driven the development of high-temperature-superconductor thin-film technology at an unprecedented pace. After five years researchers in the field have surmounted many of the initial hurdles in developing the new materials, and they are now working toward the first practical implementations of high-temperature-superconductor electronic technology.