Preparation and characterization of non-random YBa2Cu3O7-Ag composite

Silver addition to the highT _c superconductor, YBa₂Cu₃O₇ (YBCO) is known to improve its mechanical properties and critical current (J _c) characteristics. We have synthesized the superconductor-metal composite YBCO-Ag by an electroless process at room temperature (using sucrose or hydrazine hydrate in an alkaline medium). The latter method produces a non-random coating whereby each grain of YBCO is coated uniformly by silver. The intrinsic highT _c of 90 K of YBCO can be recovered by compaction of the composite and subsequent heat treatment (900°C and 600°C) in oxygen.     

溶胶-凝胶法制备YBa2Cu3O7-x超导薄膜的研究

传统的TFA-MOD法制备YBa2Cu3O7-x薄膜,采用Y、Ba、Cu 3种金属的三氟醋酸盐(TFA)为先驱体,在热分解时,会产生大量的HF气体,即使通过将近20h的缓慢升温过程来对薄膜进行热分解,也难以获得较为光洁的表面,从而无法实现厚膜的制备.本文提出了一种新的含氟溶胶-凝胶工艺,通过减少溶胶中F的含量,并利用二乙醇胺做修饰剂,缩短了热分解时间,提高了薄膜的表面光洁度.利用该方法在(010)LaAlO3衬底上制备了具有良好c轴取向,临界转变温度为89K的YBCO超导薄膜.     

Preparation and characterization of YBa2Cu3O7−x samples for microwave applications

We prepared several samples of YBa₂Cu₃O_7?x thick films electrophoretically deposited on metallic substrates, thin films sputtered on dielectric substrates, and bulk pellets, and we tested their microwave properties. Various preparation techniques are described in detail and the importance of appropriate thermal treatment during the fabrication process is emphasized. Experimental results show that electrophoretically deposited thick films on silver substrates reached, after heat treatment, a surface resistance at 50 K of 4×10^?2 Ω comparable with the silver value, while the same measurement before sinterization gave a value of 0.5 Ω. Either bulk pellets or thin films gave worse results, though a lack of sensitivity in our experimental apparatus could have influenced our data. The problem of sensitivity in the characterization of microwave properties of small samples is discussed in the appendices.     

Preparation of epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7−x films by magnetron sputtering

Thin films of highT _c superconductor YBa₂Cu₃O_7−x were obtained by magnetron sputtering. MgO, YSZ, YSH and Al₂O₃ single crystals were used as substrates. Epitaxial films with tetragonal structure havingT _c 55–60 K grow at substrate temperaturesT _s between 930 K and 980 K. Orientation of the films in thisT _s range was (100) and (001) for (100) MgO substrate, (111) and (001) for (1012) Al₂O₃ and (111) YSH and (113) or (103) on (110) YSZ and (111) YSH. Single crystalline films with orthorhombic structure and (001) orientation were grown on all the substrates whenT _s exceeded 980 K. They haveT _c>80 K.     

稀土掺杂TiO_2薄膜的制备及其应用研究

采用溶胶-凝胶的方法制备得到了Y、Ho、Sm和Ce掺杂的TiO2薄膜,XRD分析表明薄膜结晶性能良好,具有锐钛矿晶型。同时研究了稀土元素掺杂浓度和光照条件对薄膜性能的影响,得到了Y、Ho、Sm和Ce的最佳掺杂浓度。研究表明,稀土掺杂同未掺杂相比能提高TiO2薄膜的光催化活性,其中在最佳掺杂浓度时的光催化降解率最高,薄膜的降解率达到了90%。以Sm掺杂的TiO2薄膜降解乐果,结果表明,在太阳光照条件下比在紫外光照条件下具有更高的降解率。     

Preparation of YBa2Cu3O7−x by thermal decomposition of coprecipitated oxalates

Yttrium, barium and copper oxalates are coprecipitated quantitatively from metal acetate solutions with oxalic acid in water-acetone mixtures. The particle-size distribution of the precipitate can be controlled by the precipitation conditions. Thermal decomposition of the coprecipitate leads to single-phase YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x . Despite the intermediate formation of BaCO₃, the minimal reaction temperature (770 °C) is clearly lower than that for the solid-state reaction. Results of differential thermal analysis and isothermal thermogravimetry are discussed. The products are characterized by X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy.     

Preparation of single crystals of YBa2Cu3O7−x from nonstoichiometric melts

Studies on the single crystal growth of YBa₂Cu₃O_7−x show that the growth conditions have not been optimised yet and they vary in many ways. Here we report the growth of single crystals of YBCO in the size range 0·5–1·2 mm from nonstoichiometric melts. We have made systematic variations in the flux composition (constituting CuO and BaCO₃) in order to arrive at an optimum composition for consistently getting single crystals of size 0·5–1·2 mm. The tetragonal phase was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and single crystallinity by the Laue technique. Superconductivity was confirmed in oxygenannealed crystals.     

Preparation of thick YBa2Cu3O7−δ films by dc magnetron sputtering

High-temperature superconducting films up to 3.6 μm thick were obtained and their properties requisite for the development of microwave devices were investigated. It is shown that YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ films of thickness exceeding 3–5λ _L may be obtained for use in the microwave range. Pis’ma Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 24, 89–94 (October 12, 1998)     

Preparation of YBa2Cu3O7–x high-T c ceramic superconductors from melt

Fabrication of high-T _c ceramic superconductor in the system Y₂O₃-BaO-CuO by melting a mixture of component oxides has been investigated. The compositions of the resulting specimens and the effects of heat treatment have been investigated. It was determined that molten material was composed of phases including BaCuO₂, CuO, Y₂O₃, and Y₂BaCuO₅. A subsequent heat treatment in air produced a nominal amount of the high-T _c phase, while heat treatment in an O₂ atmosphere resulted in a significantly large percentage of the superconducting phase.     

Specific heat of YBa2Cu3O7

Specific heat measurements, including measurements in magnetic fields and at both low temperatures and nearT _c , on a number of YBa₂Cu₃O₇ samples have revealed several correlations among strongly sample-dependent parameters. These correlations suggest that the sample dependence of the parameters reflects a sample dependence of the volume fraction of superconductivity, which is in turn correlated with a low concentration of Cu²⁺ moments. The correlations give a criterion for recognizing the values of the parameters characteristic of the fully superconducting material. Preliminary results on the effects of sample heat treatment are reported. New data on the “linear term” is presented and discussed.     

Low-temperature specific heat of YBa2Cu3O7, YBa2Cu3O6, Y2BaCuO5, YBa3Cu2O7, BaCuO2, and CuO

We have measured the low-temperature specific heat (1.3T20 K) and the dc magnetic susceptibility (100T250 K) of eight samples of the high-T _c superconductor Y _x Ba_3–x Cu₃O_7– (x=0.9, 1.0, 1.1) and of two samples of nonsuperconducting YBa₂Cu₃O₆₊. We have also performed specific heat measurements on the possible impurity phases: YBa₃Cu₂O₇, Y₂BaCuO₅, CuO, and BaCuO_2+x . The superconducting samples all have a nonzero, sample-dependent linear term * and an upturn inC/T at very low temperature. We show that this anomalous behavior is at least partly due to the presence of a small amount (1%) of BaCuO_2+x impurity phase in the measured samples. This is evidenced by the correlation between * and the Curie component of the susceptibility, which is proportional to the amount of paramagnetic impurities.     

Preparation of YBa2Cu3O7 − δ Thin Films by the Self-Template Sputtering Method

Using the self-template technique, c-axis-oriented epitaxial YBa₂Cu₃O_{7 ? δ} thin films have been prepared in situ on LaAlO₃ substrate by the d.c. magnetron sputtering method. The properties of thin film dependence on the deposition conditions of the two-step self-template method have been systematically investigated. By optimizing the parameters, high-quality YBCO thin films with T _c0 ≥ 90 K, ΔT _c ≤ 1 K, R _s (77 K, 10 GHz)～500 μΩ were reproducibly obtained. The best sample grown under optimal conditions gave a low R _s of 330 μΩ at 77 K, 10 GHz, which can be used in a microwave field.     

Preparation of YBa2Cu3O7-x superconducting thick films by the electrophoretic deposition method

YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x thick films have been realised by the Electrophoretic Deposition method (EPD). The influence of several parameters (powder and iodine concentrations in the suspension, applied voltage and deposition time) on the EPD process has been studied by measuring the conductivity of the suspension and the amount of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x particles deposited on the electrode. Superconducting coatings onto silver substrates have been produced by a multilayer process during different deposition times. The highest critical current density value of these coatings measured by the four-point probe method is about 10³ A/cm² (77 K), in a suitable range for magnetic shielding applications.