OBSERVATION OF DEFECTS AND GROWTH ORIENTATIONS OF YBA2CU3OX THIN-FILMS WITH YSZ BUFFER LAYERS ON SI

Abstract

We have investigated defects and in-plane orientations of YBa2Cu3Ox thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with YSZ as a buffer layer. The films showed c-axis oriented growth with the transition temperature T-co up to 87 K. Several types of defects including thermally induced cracks, grain boundaries and outgrowths were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The grain boundary provided a favorable path for crack propagation. The outgrowths nucleated on the YSZ surface grew with stoichiometric composition. According to X-ray diffraction (XRD) and HRTEM studies the YSZ buffer layer grew with the orientation relationship, YSZ[110]//Si[110] and YSZ(001)//Si(001) up to the YBCO/YSZ interface. The superconducting YBCO films on top grew mainly with YBCO[100]//Si[110] and YBCO(001)//Si(001), with some minor portions of YBCO[110]//Si[110] and YBCO(001)//Si(001).