Superconducting YNi2B2C thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Thin films of the intermetallic superconducting compound YNi2B2C have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition. The YNi2B2C phase was formed during the deposition process at a substrate temperature of 860 degrees C (in situ) or after deposition by post-annealing. Polycrystalline, c-axis oriented films were obtained on MgO and Al2O3 substrates. Post-annealed and in situ grown YNi2B2C films showed inductively measured transition temperatures up to 15 K with typical transition widths of approximate to 0.5 K. The electrical and magnetic properties of the films like rho(T), B-c2(T), J(c)(T) and M(H) at 5 K were measured. The B-c2(T) dependence showed a linear behaviour and the low temperature critical current density J(c)(5 K) was 8 X 10(5) A/cm(2). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.