THE EFFECT OF DEPOSITION CONDITIONS ON THE STRUCTURE AND ELECTRICAL-PROPERTIES OF Y-BA-CU-O SUPERCONDUCTING THIN-FILMS

Thin superconducting films of yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) grown onto MgO(100) and YSZ(100) substrates have been prepared by rf magnetron sputtering and by chemical sol gel methods. The structure, morphology and compositional properties were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy, respectively. The electrical resistance was measured by a four-probe dc method. The results indicate that the method of film preparation, the substrate material and the nature of the post-deposition annealing have a significant influence on the microstructure and the superconducting properties of YBCO films.