Kinetics of YBa2Cu3O7 film growth by postdeposition processing

The ex situ growth of thick textured YBa2Cu3O7 films on SrTiO3 substrates was investigated in order to find the factors, which influence growth kinetics. It was found that the growth rate of YBa2Cu3O7 films remains constant during heat treatment and is proportional to the square root of the H2O partial pressure in the processing atmosphere. Using transmission electron microscopy, we observed that the growth of the YBa2Cu3O7 films proceeds from a thin, similar to 7-nm-thick, layer of liquid located at the growth front. Chemical analysis of this layer and the adjacent material suggests that decomposition of an oxifluoride compound in the precursor film occurs at the liquid layer-precursor film interface. The rate of this decomposition reaction defines the growth rate of YBa2Cu3O7. Using a simple model we show that rate of this reaction is limited by the out-diffusion of the decomposition product HF. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)03014-X].