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Sample records for epitaxial ybco thin

  1. The effect of a thin silver layer on the critical current of epitaxial YBCO films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Polturak, E.; Koren, G.; Cohen, D.; Cohen, D.; Snapiro, I.

    1992-01-01

    We compare measurements of the critical current density of an epitaxial YBCO film with that of an identical film overlaid by a thin silver layer. We find that the presence of the silver lowers Tc of the film by about 1.5 K, which is two orders of magnitude larger than predicted by the theory of the proximity effect for our experimental conditions. In addition, J c of the Ag/YBCO film near Tc is also significantly lower than that of the bare YBCO film. We propose two alternate interpretations of this effect, one in terms of destabilization of the flux distribution in the film and the other making use of the effect of the silver on the Bean-Livingston surface barrier for the initial penetration of flux. The latter seems the more plausible explanation of our results. (orig.)

  2. Microwave dynamics of YBCO bi-epitaxial Josephson structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Constantinian, K. Y.; Ovsyannikov, G. A.; Mashtakov, A. D.

    1996-01-01

    The processes of interaction of microwaves (frequency View the MathML source) with a single high-Tc superconducting YBa2Cu3Ox (YBCO) bi-epitaxial grain-boundary junction and with an array of two junctions connected in series, have been investigated experimentally at temperatures T = 4.2− 77 K......, as well as the subharmonic detector response at weak magnetic fields φ microwave field induced frequency synchronization of two series connected bi-epitaxial YBCO junctions....

  3. Microstructure of epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7-x thin films grown on LaAlO3 (001)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsieh, Y.; Siegal, M.P.; Hull, R.; Phillips, J.M.

    1990-01-01

    We report a microstructural investigation of the epitaxial growth of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) thin films on LaAlO 3 (001) substrates using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Epitaxial films grow with two distinct modes: c epitaxy (YBCO) single crystal with the c (axis normal to the surface and a epitaxy (YBCO) single crystal with the c axis in the interfacial plane), where c epitaxy is the dominant mode grown in all samples 35--200 nm thick. In 35 nm YBCO films annealed at 850 degree C, 97±1% of the surface area is covered by c epitaxy with embedded anisotropic a-epitaxial grains. Quantitative analysis reveals the effect of film thickness and annealing temperature on the density, grain sizes, areal coverages, and anisotropic growth of a epitaxy

  4. Bi-epitaxial YBa2Cu3Ox Thin Films on Tilted-axes NdGaO3 Substrates with CeO2 Seeding Layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mozhaev, P B; Mozhaeva, J E; Jacobsen, C S; Hansen, J Bindslev; Bdikin, I K; Luzanov, V A; Kotelyanskii, I M; Zybtsev, S G

    2006-01-01

    Bi-epitaxial YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (YBCO) thin films with out-of-plane tilt angle in the range 18 - 27 0 were manufactured using pulsed laser deposition on NdGaO 3 tilted-axes substrates with CeO 2 seeding layers. The YBCO thin film orientation over the seeding layer depended on deposition conditions. Removal of the seeding layer from part of the substrate surface by ionbeam etching resulted in formation of a bi-epitaxial thin film with different c-axis orientation of two parts of the film. The bi-epitaxial film orientation and structure were studied using X-ray diffraction techniques, and surface morphology was observed with atomic force microscope (AFM). Photolithography and ion-beam etching techniques were used for patterning bi-epitaxial thin films. Electrical characterization of the obtained structures was performed

  5. Process for forming epitaxial perovskite thin film layers using halide precursors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clem, Paul G.; Rodriguez, Mark A.; Voigt, James A.; Ashley, Carol S.

    2001-01-01

    A process for forming an epitaxial perovskite-phase thin film on a substrate. This thin film can act as a buffer layer between a Ni substrate and a YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x superconductor layer. The process utilizes alkali or alkaline metal acetates dissolved in halogenated organic acid along with titanium isopropoxide to dip or spin-coat the substrate which is then heated to about 700.degree. C. in an inert gas atmosphere to form the epitaxial film on the substrate. The YBCO superconductor can then be deposited on the layer formed by this invention.

  6. High temperature superconducting YBCO microwave filters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aghabagheri, S.; Rasti, M.; Mohammadizadeh, M. R.; Kameli, P.; Salamati, H.; Mohammadpour-Aghdam, K.; Faraji-Dana, R.

    2018-06-01

    Epitaxial thin films of YBCO high temperature superconductor are widely used in telecommunication technology such as microwave filter, antenna, coupler and etc., due to their lower surface resistance and lower microwave loss than their normal conductor counterparts. Thin films of YBCO were fabricated by PLD technique on LAO substrate. Transition temperature and width were 88 K and 3 K, respectively. A filter pattern was designed and implemented by wet photolithography method on the films. Characterization of the filter at 77 K has been compared with the simulation results and the results for a made gold filter. Both YBCO and gold filters show high microwave loss. For YBCO filter, the reason may be due to the improper contacts on the feedlines and for gold filter, low thickness of the gold film has caused the loss increased.

  7. Intermediate phase evolution in YBCO thin films grown by the TFA process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zalamova, K; Pomar, A; Palau, A; Puig, T; Obradors, X

    2010-01-01

    The YBCO thin film growth process from TFA precursors involves a complex reaction path which includes several oxide, fluoride and oxyfluoride intermediate phases, and the final microstructure and properties of the films are strongly influenced by the morphological and chemical evolution of these intermediate phases. In this work we present a study of the evolution of the intermediate phases involved in the TFA YBCO growth process under normal pressure conditions and we show that the oxygen partial pressure during pyrolysis of the TFA precursors is an important parameter. The Cu phase after the TFA pyrolysis can be either CuO, Cu 2 O or a mixture of both as the oxygen partial pressure is modified. The kinetics evolution of the intermediate phases has been determined for films pyrolysed in oxygen and nitrogen atmospheres and it is concluded that non-equilibrium phase transformations influence the reaction path towards epitaxial YBCO films and its microstructure. The intermediate phase evolution in these two series of films is summarized in kinetic phase diagrams.

  8. Bi-epitaxial YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} Thin Films on Tilted-axes NdGaO{sub 3} Substrates with CeO{sub 2} Seeding Layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mozhaev, P B [Institute of Physics and Technology RAS, 117218, Moscow (Russian Federation); Mozhaeva, J E [Institute of Physics and Technology RAS, 117218, Moscow (Russian Federation); Jacobsen, C S [Technical University of Denmark, Physics Department, Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark (Denmark); Hansen, J Bindslev [Technical University of Denmark, Physics Department, Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark (Denmark); Bdikin, I K [CICECO, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193 (Portugal); Luzanov, V A [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Moscow, 125009 (Russian Federation); Kotelyanskii, I M [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Moscow, 125009 (Russian Federation); Zybtsev, S G [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Moscow, 125009 (Russian Federation)

    2006-06-01

    Bi-epitaxial YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} (YBCO) thin films with out-of-plane tilt angle in the range 18 - 27{sup 0} were manufactured using pulsed laser deposition on NdGaO{sub 3} tilted-axes substrates with CeO{sub 2} seeding layers. The YBCO thin film orientation over the seeding layer depended on deposition conditions. Removal of the seeding layer from part of the substrate surface by ionbeam etching resulted in formation of a bi-epitaxial thin film with different c-axis orientation of two parts of the film. The bi-epitaxial film orientation and structure were studied using X-ray diffraction techniques, and surface morphology was observed with atomic force microscope (AFM). Photolithography and ion-beam etching techniques were used for patterning bi-epitaxial thin films. Electrical characterization of the obtained structures was performed.

  9. Preparation and structural properties of YBCO films grown on GaN/c-sapphire hexagonal substrate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chromik, S., E-mail: stefan.chromik@savba.sk [Institute of Electrical Engineering, SAS, Dubravska cesta 9, 84104 Bratislava (Slovakia); Gierlowski, P. [Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw (Poland); Spankova, M.; Dobrocka, E.; Vavra, I.; Strbik, V.; Lalinsky, T.; Sojkova, M. [Institute of Electrical Engineering, SAS, Dubravska cesta 9, 84104 Bratislava (Slovakia); Liday, J.; Vogrincic, P. [Department of Microelectronics, Slovak Technical University, Ilkovicova 3, 81219 Bratislava (Slovakia); Espinos, J.P. [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla, Avda Americo Vespucio 49, 41092 Sevilla (Spain)

    2010-07-01

    Epitaxial YBCO thin films have been grown on hexagonal GaN/c-sapphire substrates using DC magnetron sputtering and pulsed laser deposition. An MgO buffer layer has been inserted between the substrate and the YBCO film as a diffusion barrier. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates a c-axis oriented growth of the YBCO films. {Phi}-scan shows surprisingly twelve maxima. Transmission electron microscopy analyses confirm an epitaxial growth of the YBCO blocks with a superposition of three a-b YBCO planes rotated by 120 deg. to each other. Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal no surface contamination with Ga even if a maximum substrate temperature of 700 deg. C is applied.

  10. Bi-epitaxial tilted out-of-plane YBCO junctions on NdGaO{sub 3} substrates with YSZ seeding layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mozhaev, P.B. (Institute of Physics and Technology RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation)); Mozhaev, J.E.; Bindslev Hansen, J.; Jacobsen, C.S. (Technical Univ. of Denmark, Dept. of Physics, Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)); Kotelyanskil, I.M.; Luzanov, V.A. (Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation)); Benacka, S.; Strbik, V. (Institute of Electrical Engineering SAS, Bratislava (SK))

    2008-10-15

    Bi-epitaxial junctions with out-of plane tilt of the c axis were fabricated of YBCO superconducting thin films on NdGaO{sub 3} substrates with different miscut angles. Bi-epitaxial growth was provided by implementation of an Y:ZrO{sub 2} seeding layer on a certain part of the substrate. Junctions with different orientation of the bi-epitaxial boundaries were fabricated, their DC electrical properties were studied as a function of the boundary orientation angle. The junctions showed extremely high critical current densities for all tested miscut angles and bi-epitaxial boundary orientations (about 105 A/cm2 at 77 K and up to 106 A/cm2 at 4.2 K). The dependence of critical current density on the bi-epitaxial boundary orientation angle may be explained as an effect of a d-wave pairing mechanism in the HTSC with the simple Sigrist-Rice model. The studied boundaries may be considered as model structures for the grain boundaries in the coated conductors. (au)

  11. Fabrication of 5 cm long epitaxial Sm{sub 0.2}Ce{sub 0.8}O{sub 1.9-x} single buffer layer on textured Ni-5%W substrate for YBCO coated conductors via dip-coating PACSD method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lei, M.; Wang, W.T.; Pu, M.H.; Yang, X.S.; He, L.J. [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation and Maglev Trains (Ministry of Education of China), Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Cheng, C.H. [Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, New South Wales (Australia); Zhao, Y., E-mail: yzhao@home.swjtu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation and Maglev Trains (Ministry of Education of China), Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China)] [Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, New South Wales (Australia)

    2011-11-15

    Epitaxial Sm{sub 0.2}Ce{sub 0.8}O{sub 1.9-x} single buffer layer for YBCO coated conductors was deposited via fluorine-free dip-coating CSD. Flat, dense and crack-free SCO films with sharp (2 0 0) c-axis texture were obtained by carefully controlling the processing. YBCO thin films with a homogeneous surface microstructure were deposited on the SCO-buffered NiW substrate via CSD approach. Five centimeters long epitaxial Sm{sub 0.2}Ce{sub 0.8}O{sub 1.9-x} (SCO) single buffer layer for YBCO coated conductors was deposited via dip-coating polymer-assisted chemical solution deposition (PACSD) approach on bi-axially textured Ni-5%W (2 0 0) alloy substrate. The film formation and texture evolution were investigated using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Flat, dense and crack-free SCO films with sharp (2 0 0) c-axis texture were obtained by way of carefully controlling the concentration of precursor solution, withdrawing speed, annealing temperature and dwelling time. On consideration of both microstructure and texture, epitaxial SCO single buffer layers were fabricated using precursor solution of 0.3 M cationic concentration, the withdrawing speed of 10 mm/min and heat treatment at 1100 deg. C in Ar-5%H{sub 2} mixture gas for 0.5 h. Epitaxial YBCO thin films with a homogeneous surface microstructure were deposited on the SCO-buffered NiW substrate via dip-coating PACSD approach. The PACSD approach was a promising way to fabricate long and low-cost YBCO coated conductors.

  12. Chemical solution deposition of YBCO thin film by different polymer additives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, W.T.; Li, G.; Pu, M.H.; Sun, R.P.; Zhou, H.M.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, H.; Yang, Y.; Cheng, C.H.; Zhao, Y.

    2008-01-01

    A polymer-assisted chemical solution deposition approach has been proposed for the preparation of YBCO thin film. Different additives like PVB (polyvinyl butyral), PEG (polyethylene glycol) and PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone) have been used to adjust the final viscosity of the precursor solution and thus the film formation. In this fluorine-free approach, YBCO has been deposited on single crystal substrates with metal acetates being starting materials. Biaxially textured YBCO thin films have been obtained. However, different additives lead to different microstructure. Dense, smooth and crack-free YBCO film prepared with PVB as additive yields sharp superconducting transition around T c = 90 K as well as high J c (0 T, 77 K) over 3 MA/cm 2

  13. Chemical solution deposition of YBCO thin film by different polymer additives

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, W.T.; Li, G.; Pu, M.H.; Sun, R.P.; Zhou, H.M.; Zhang, Y. [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation Technologies and Maglev Trains, Ministry of Education of China, Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Zhang, H. [Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Yang, Y. [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation Technologies and Maglev Trains, Ministry of Education of China, Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Cheng, C.H. [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation Technologies and Maglev Trains, Ministry of Education of China, Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wale, Sydney, 2052 NSW (Australia); Zhao, Y. [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation Technologies and Maglev Trains, Ministry of Education of China, Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wale, Sydney, 2052 NSW (Australia)], E-mail: yzhao@swjtu.edu.cn

    2008-09-15

    A polymer-assisted chemical solution deposition approach has been proposed for the preparation of YBCO thin film. Different additives like PVB (polyvinyl butyral), PEG (polyethylene glycol) and PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone) have been used to adjust the final viscosity of the precursor solution and thus the film formation. In this fluorine-free approach, YBCO has been deposited on single crystal substrates with metal acetates being starting materials. Biaxially textured YBCO thin films have been obtained. However, different additives lead to different microstructure. Dense, smooth and crack-free YBCO film prepared with PVB as additive yields sharp superconducting transition around T{sub c} = 90 K as well as high J{sub c} (0 T, 77 K) over 3 MA/cm{sup 2}.

  14. Introduction of Artificial Pinning Center into PLD-YBCO Coated Conductor on IBAD and Self-Epitaxial CeO2 Buffered Metal Substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobayashi, H.; Yamada, Y.; Ishida, S.; Takahashi, K.; Konishi, M.; Ibi, A.; Miyata, S.; Kato, T.; Hirayama, T.; Shiohara, Y.

    2006-01-01

    In order to fabricate YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) coated conductors with high critical current density Jc in magnetic fields, we fabricated YBCO coated conductors with artificial pinning centers by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method on a self epitaxial PLD-CeO2 layer and ion-beam assisted deposition (IBAD)-Gd2Zr2O7 (GZO) buffered Hastelloy tape. Artificial pinning centers were introduced by the PLD deposition using the yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) oxide target (nano-dot method) and YBCO target including YSZ particles (mixed target method). In the experiments using YSZ oxide target, YSZ nano-dots were observed. They were approximately 15 nm in height and 10 nm to 70 nm in diameter. We found that the density of nano-dots was controlled by the number of laser pulses. These samples exhibited higher Jc than YBCO films in magnetic fields. Furthermore, a similar improvement of Jc was observed in the experiments using YBCO target including YSZ particles. TEM observation revealed that columnar nano-structure made of BaZrO3 was formed during YBCO deposition and it was effective for pinning. We call this new epitaxial nano-structure 'bamboo structure' from its anisotropic growth and morphology

  15. Effect of argon addition into oxygen atmosphere on YBCO thin films deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mozhaev, P. B.; Borisenko, I. V.; Ovsyannikov, G. A.; Kuehle, A.; Bindslev-Hansen, J.; Johannes, L.; Skov, J. L.

    2002-01-01

    Multicomponent nature of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (YBCO) high-temperature superconductor makes difficult fabrication of smooth thin films: every local deviation from stoichiometry can result in seeding of a non-superconducting oxide particle. High density of such particles on typical YBCO thin film surface, however, presumes overall non-stoichiometry of the film. Such an effect can result from (i) non-uniform material transport from target to substrate, and (ii) re-evaporation or re-sputtering from the growing film surface. The first reason is more usual for laser ablation deposition technique, the second is typical for long sputtering deposition processes. Substitution of oxygen with argon in the deposition atmosphere improves surface quality of YBCO thin films deposited both by laser ablation and DC-sputtering at high pressure techniques. In the first case, the ablated species are scattered different ways in the oxygen atmosphere. Addition of argon decreases the inelastic scattering of barium; the proper part of Ar in the deposition atmosphere makes scattering and, hence, transport of all atoms uniform. The YBCO films deposited by DC-sputtering at high pressure technique are Ba-deficient also, but the reason is re-sputtering of Ba from the growing film as a result of negative oxygen ions bombardment. Such bombardment can lead also to chemical interaction of the deposited material with the substrate, as in the case of deposition of YBCO thin film on the CeO 2 buffer layer on sapphire. Substitution of oxygen with argon not only suppresses ion bombardment of the film, but also increases discharge stability due to presence of positive Ar + ions. The limiting factor of argon substitution is sufficient oxygenation of the growing oxide film. When oxygen partial pressure is too small, the superconducting quality of the YBCO thin film decreases and such a decrease cannot be overcome by prolonged oxygenation after deposition. (Authors)

  16. Mechanical characterization of YBCO thin films using nanoindentation and finite element method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Weixing [The Ministry of Education of China (China). Key Lab. of Mechanics on Environment and Disaster in Western China; Lanzhou Univ. (China). College of Civil Engineering and Mechanics

    2017-09-15

    The mechanical properties of YBCO thin film deposited on SrTiO{sub 3} (100) substrates by magnetron sputtering were determined using Berkovich nanoindentation and scanning electron microscopy. Hardness and elastic modulus were determined via the Oliver-Pharr method from indentation load-depth curves. The hardness values of the YBCO thin film show depth dependence, i. e., indentation size effect, which arose from the surface roughness as detected by scanning electron microscopy. Multiple pop-in events were observed on the loading curves, however, no obvious pop-out takes place during the elastic recovery. In addition, an effective analytical method accommodating the indenter imperfection was proposed and validated against experimental data in terms of elastic modulus, yield stress and friction angle using the Drucker-Prager yield criterion for the YBCO thin film.

  17. Evaluation on current-limiting performance of the YBCO thin-film wire considering electric coupling condition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du, H.-I.; Han, B.-S.; Kim, Y.-J.; Lee, D.-H.; Song, S.-S.; Han, T.-H.; Han, S.-C.

    2011-01-01

    The basic way to improve the performance of a superconducting current limiter is to apply and evaluate a superconducting device that is appropriate to the superconducting current limiter. Among the many types of superconducting devices, the YBCO thin film wire has excellent current-limiting performance that is appropriate for actual system application. For the application of the YBCO thin film wire to superconducting current limiters, its current-limiting performance as a unit device must be accurately evaluated, and measures to improve its current-limiting performance must be sought. Accordingly, to evaluate the current-limiting performance of the YBCO thin film wire, this study was conducted to evaluate its resistance-increasing trend, V max , T r , I max , I qt , and current-limiting rate as a unit device, after which the electric coupling condition that consists of a core and windings was used to evaluate the current-limiting performance of the YBCO thin film wire.

  18. Resistive switching phenomenon and hole wind effect in YBCO thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Truchly, Martin; Plecenik, Tomas [Department of Experimental Physics, Comenius University, Bratislava (Slovakia); Zhitlukhina, Elena [Donetsk Institute for Physics and Engineering, Kyiv (Ukraine)

    2016-07-01

    We present an overview of our experimental and theoretical activities aimed to clarify the mechanism of resistive memory effects in YBCO thin layers. The phenomenon was studied by scanning spreading resistance microscopy (SSRM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) techniques. The most striking feature uncovered (in contrast to previous experiments on planar bilayers with YBCO films) was the opposite voltage-bias polarity of the switching effect in all SSRM and a number of STM measurements. Observed hysteresis in current-voltage characteristics is interpreted as a movement of oxygen vacancies in the vicinity of the tip-YBCO contact. Since the charge distribution in YBCO samples is expected to be strongly inhomogeneous, the balance between the direct electrostatic force on activated oxygen ions and that caused by momentum exchange with the current carriers (holes) hitting them determines direction in which the oxygen vacancies are moving. We propose a minimalist model with the only fitting parameter that accounts for the resistance hysteresis phenomenon in the YBCO films studied.

  19. Thin epitaxial silicon detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stab, L.

    1989-01-01

    Manufacturing procedures of thin epitaxial surface barriers will be given. Some improvements have been obtained: larger areas, lower leakage currents and better resolutions. New planar epitaxial dE/dX detectors, made in a collaboration work with ENERTEC-INTERTECHNIQUE, and a new application of these thin planar diodes to EXAFS measurements, made in a collaboration work with LURE (CNRS,CEA,MEN) will also be reported

  20. FY 1997 report on the study on lamination control technology for functional multi-element oxide thin films by complex beam epitaxy (CxBE) process; 1997 nendo chosa hokokusho (sakutaisen epitaxy (CxBE) ho ni yoru kinosei tagenso sankabutsu usumaku no sekiso seigyo gijutsu ni kansuru kenkyu)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-03-01

    Complex beam epitaxy (CxBE) process was proposed and demonstrated as new deposition process of multi-element oxide thin films. This process radiates excimer laser onto a metal complex target of ethylenediamine-tetraacetate complex under reduced pressure oxygen atmosphere condition in a reaction vessel to supply raw material onto a heated substrate. This process allowed deposition of YBCO123 phase hetero-epitaxial film onto a single-crystalline SrTiO3 substrate. This process was proved to be promising through study on crystal orientation, composition transcription and surface smoothness of the obtained oxide thin films. In addition, epitaxial ZnO film was also deposited onto a single crystalline Al2O3 substrate by this process. The relation between the obtained film and substrate epitaxy was examined, and photoluminescence of specimens was measured by triple wave of Nd:YAG laser. As a result, it was clarified that the epitaxial ZnO film prepared by this process is useful as laser material. 60 refs., 48 figs., 5 tabs.

  1. Synthesis of in-plane aligned a-axis YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Young, K.H.; Sun, J.Z.

    1991-01-01

    We report the successful synthesis of superconducting YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO) (100) thin films with alignment of the in-plane c axis. These films were grown on single crystal NdGaO 3 (110) substrates. The twofold symmetry of the substrate surface is believed to lead to anisotropic alignment of the in-plane c axis of the epitaxial YBCO (100) film. X-ray diffraction studies indicate that over 80% of the film grew epitaxially with the YBCO [100] perpendicular to the substrate surface, and YBCO [001] aligned along one pseudo-cubic axis of the NdGaO 3 . The superconductivity onset of the film was measured to be 89 K by ac susceptibility

  2. Quench and recovery characteristics of Au/YBCO thin film type SFCL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yim, S.-W.; Kim, H.-R.; Hyun, O.-B.; Sim, J.

    2007-01-01

    Although, a superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) guarantees the fast limiting operation, it usually needs a considerably long time to recover to superconducting state after the quench. Considering the reclosing time in the protection coordination of power systems, the time required for the recovery should be investigated clearly. In this study, the quench and recovery characteristics of Au/YBCO thin films designed as an SFCL element with a bi-spiral pattern were investigated. The quench development of the SFCL was measured by two kinds of methods. Firstly, after applying the fault current of 5.5 cycles, we measured the resistance of the YBCO by a small current flowing through the pattern of Au/YBCO thin film. The temperature variation above the critical temperature, 85 K, was investigated indirectly from the resistance variation. Secondly, in order to measure the temperature from 85 K to 77 K, a meander line shape of Au thin film was evaporated on the back side and used as a temperature detecting sensor. The temperature variations detected by both methods were compared and analyzed. For the investigation of the recovery characteristics, the required time for the recovery of the superconductivity was measured for various magnitude and duration of the applied voltages. In addition, for the purpose of examining the dependence of the line impedance on the recovery time, resistors of various resistances were inserted in the fault current testing circuit and the recovery time was measured and analyzed

  3. Preparation of PZT thin films on YBCO electrodes by KrF excimer laser ablation technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurogi, H.; Yamagata, Y.; Ebihara, K.

    1998-01-01

    Pb(Zr X Ti 1-X )O 3 (PZT) films have excellent ferroelectric, optical, piezoelectric, and pyroelectric properties. We prepared PZT thin films by the excimer laser ablation technique. A pulsed KrF excimer laser (Lambda Physik LPX305icc, pulse duration of 25 ns, λ=248 nm, 850 mJ Max.) was used to ablate the bulk targets. We investigated the influence of bottom electrode materials on the characteristics of the PZT thin films prepared on Pt and YBCO underlayers. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that the PZT films prepared with a laser fluence of 2 Jcm -2 on YBCO/MgO(100) substrate at a wide temperature range of 550-680 C have a perovskite (001) structure. At the same laser fluence, the PZT films prepared on Pt/MgO(100) substrate have a perovskite (001) structure only at 650 C. The polarization-electric field (P-E) characteristics and fatigue properties of PZT thin films were measured by the Sawyer-Tower circuit. The remnant polarization and coercive field have been found to be P r =15 μC cm -2 , 30 μC cm -2 and E c =200 kV cm -1 , 100 kV cm -1 for Au/PZT/Pt/MgO and Au/PZT/YBCO/MgO correspondingly. The remnant polarization of Au/PZT/YBCO/MgO thin film was reduced to one-half after about 10 8 cycles of switching. (orig.)

  4. Magnetoresistivity and Hall resistivity of a YBCO thin film in a tilted magnetic field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amirfeiz, M.; Cimberle, M. R.; Ferdeghini, C.; Giannini, E.; Grassano, G.; Marre', D.; Putti, M.; Siri, A. S.

    1997-01-01

    In this paper they present magnetoresistivity and Hall effect measurements performed on a YBCO epitaxial film as a function of the angle θ between the external magnetic field and the a-b planes. The resistivity and Hall effect measurements are analyzed in term of the general scaling approach proposed by Blatter and coworkers; the Hall conductivity data are examined to separate the contributions due to vortices and quasi particles

  5. Growth of YBCO superconducting thin films on CaF sub 2 buffered silicon

    CERN Document Server

    Bhagwat, S S; Patil, J M; Shirodkar, V S

    2000-01-01

    CaF sub 2 films were grown on silicon using the neutral cluster beam deposition technique. These films were highly crystalline and c-axis oriented. Superconducting YBCO thin films were grown on the Ca F sub 2 buffered silicon using the laser ablation technique. These films showed T sub c (onset) at 90 K and Tc(zero) at 86 K. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the YBCO films were also oriented along the c-axis.

  6. Epitaxial growth of textured YBa2Cu3O7-δ films on silver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Dan-Min; Liu Wei-Peng; Suo Hong-Li; Zhou Mei-Ling

    2005-01-01

    YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO) films were deposited on (100), (110) and (111) oriented silver single crystals and {100} left angle 100 right angle, {110} left angle 211 right angle, {110} left angle 100 right angle +{110} left angle 011 right angle {110} left angle 011 right angle and {012} left angle 100 right angle textured Ag substrates using pulsed laser deposition. The relationship between the epitaxial growth YBCO film and silver substrate has been determined. It is shown that among polycrystalline Ag substrates, {110} left angle 011 right angle textured tape is suitable for the deposition of YBCO thin films having strong texture. (orig.)

  7. Preparation of PZT thin films on YBCO electrodes by KrF excimer laser ablation technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurogi, H; Yamagata, Y; Ebihara, K [Kumamoto Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Electr. Eng. and Comput. Sci.; Inoue, N [Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc., Suizenji, 1-6-36, Kumamoto 862 (Japan)

    1998-03-01

    Pb(Zr{sub X}Ti{sub 1-X})O{sub 3} (PZT) films have excellent ferroelectric, optical, piezoelectric, and pyroelectric properties. We prepared PZT thin films by the excimer laser ablation technique. A pulsed KrF excimer laser (Lambda Physik LPX305icc, pulse duration of 25 ns, {lambda}=248 nm, 850 mJ Max.) was used to ablate the bulk targets. We investigated the influence of bottom electrode materials on the characteristics of the PZT thin films prepared on Pt and YBCO underlayers. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that the PZT films prepared with a laser fluence of 2 Jcm{sup -2} on YBCO/MgO(100) substrate at a wide temperature range of 550-680 C have a perovskite (001) structure. At the same laser fluence, the PZT films prepared on Pt/MgO(100) substrate have a perovskite (001) structure only at 650 C. The polarization-electric field (P-E) characteristics and fatigue properties of PZT thin films were measured by the Sawyer-Tower circuit. The remnant polarization and coercive field have been found to be P{sub r}=15 {mu}C cm{sup -2}, 30 {mu}C cm{sup -2} and E{sub c}=200 kV cm{sup -1}, 100 kV cm{sup -1} for Au/PZT/Pt/MgO and Au/PZT/YBCO/MgO correspondingly. The remnant polarization of Au/PZT/YBCO/MgO thin film was reduced to one-half after about 10{sup 8} cycles of switching. (orig.) 7 refs.

  8. Pulsed-laser-deposited YBCO thin films using modified MTG processed targets

    CERN Document Server

    Kim, C H; Kim, I T; Hahn, T S

    1999-01-01

    YBCO thin films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition from targets fabricated using the modified melt-textured growth (MTG) method and the solid-state sintering (SSS) method. All of the films showed c-axis orientations, but the films from the MTG targets had better crystallinity than those from the SSS targets. As the substrate temperature was increased, T sub c and J sub c of the films increased. The films from the MTG targets showed better superconducting properties than those from the SSS targets. From the composition analysis of the targets, the Y-richer vapor species arriving at the substrate from the MTG targets are thought to form a thermodynamically more stable YBCO phase with less cation disorder.

  9. In-situ laser processing and microstructural characteristics of YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films on Si with TiN buffer layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tiwari, P.; Zheleva, T.; Narayan, J.

    1993-01-01

    The authors have prepared high-quality superconducting YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 -δ (YBCO) thin films on Si(100) with TiN as a buffer layer using in-situ multitarget deposition system. Both TiN and YBCO thin films were deposited sequentially by KrF excimer laser ( | = 248 nm ) at substrate temperature of 650 C . Thin films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), four-point-probe ac resistivity, scanning electron microscopy (S E M), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Rutherford backscattering (RBS). The TiN buffer layer was epitaxial and the epitaxial relationship was found to be cube on cube with TiN parallel Si. YBCO thin films on Si with TiN buffer layer showed the transition temperature of 90-92K with T co (zero resistance temperature) of 84K. The authors have found that the quality of the buffer layer is very important in determining the superconducting transition temperature of the thin film. The effects of processing parameters and the correlation of microstructural features with superconducting properties are discussed in detail

  10. Distribution analysis of thermal effusivity for sub-micrometer YBCO thin films using thermal microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yagi, T.; Taketoshi, N.; Kato, H.

    2004-01-01

    Thermal effusivity measurements have been carried out for sub-micrometer YBCO superconducting films using thermal microscope based upon thermoreflectance technique. Two samples were prepared: c-axis aligned YBCO thin films with 800 nm in thickness synthesized on MgO and SrTiO 3 substrates. Measured thermal effusivities perpendicular to the surface, i.e. in parallel with c-axis were determined to be 1770 J/m 2 s 0.5 K on MgO substrate and 1420 J/m 2 s 0.5 K for that on SrTiO 3 substrate, respectively. The scatter of the measurements is estimated to be lower than ±5.2%. These values are consistent with reported values of YBCO single crystal in the direction of c-axis. In addition, 2D profiling image, that is, in-plane distribution of thermal effusivity was well obtained for the YBCO film on MgO substrate by operating this thermal microscope in a scanning mode. Its standard deviation of the in-plane thermal effusivity scattering due to the non-uniformity is evaluated to be ±5.7%

  11. Oxygenation of the traditional and thin-walled MT-YBCO in flowing oxygen and under high evaluated oxygen pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prikhna, Tatiana; Chaud, Xavier; Gawalek, Wolfgang; Rabier, Jaques; Savchuk, Yaroslav; Joulain, Anne; Vlasenko, Andrey; Moshchil, Viktor; Sergienko, Nina; Dub, Sergey; Melnikov, Vladimir; Litzkendorf, Doris; Habisreuther, Tobias; Sverdun, Vladimir

    2007-01-01

    The high pressure-high temperature oxygenation of thin-walled MT-YBCO (with artificially produced holes) allows decreasing the amount of macrocracks and increasing j c of the material. The MT-YBCO produced from Y123 and Y211 in the fields higher than 2 T showed higher j c in the ab-planes and lower j c in the c-direction than the MT-YBCO manufactured from Y123 and Y 2 O 3 and can be explained by the difference in twin and microcrack density that in turn can be affected by the difference in Y211 phase distribution

  12. Epitaxial patterning of thin-films: conventional lithographies and beyond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Wei; Krishnan, Kannan M

    2014-01-01

    Thin-film based novel magnetic and electronic devices have entered a new era in which the film crystallography, structural coherence, and epitaxy play important roles in determining their functional properties. The capabilities of controlling such structural and functional properties are being continuously developed by various physical deposition technologies. Epitaxial patterning strategies further allow the miniaturization of such novel devices, which incorporates thin-film components into nanoscale architectures while keeping their functional properties unmodified from their ideal single-crystal values. In the past decade, epitaxial patterning methods on the laboratory scale have been reported to meet distinct scientific inquires, in which the techniques and processes used differ from one to the other. In this review we summarize many of these pioneering endeavors in epitaxial patterning of thin-film devices that use both conventional and novel lithography techniques. These methods demonstrate epitaxial patterning for a broad range of materials (metals, oxides, and semiconductors) and cover common device length scales from micrometer to sub-hundred nanometer. Whilst we have been motivated by magnetic materials and devices, we present our outlook on developing systematic-strategies for epitaxial patterning of functional materials which will pave the road for the design, discovery and industrialization of next-generation advanced magnetic and electronic nano-devices. (topical review)

  13. Oxygenation of the traditional and thin-walled MT-YBCO in flowing oxygen and under high evaluated oxygen pressure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prikhna, Tatiana [Institute for Superhard Materials, 2 Avtozavodskaya Street, Kiev 04074 (Ukraine)], E-mail: prikhna@iptelecom.net.ua; Chaud, Xavier [CNRS/CRETA, 25, Avenue des Martyrs BP 166, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9 (France); Gawalek, Wolfgang [Institut fuer Physikalische Hochtechnologie, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 9, Jena (Germany); Rabier, Jaques [Universite de Poitiers, CNRS/Lab. de Metallurgie Physique, UMR 6630 CNRS-Universite de Poitiers SP2MI, BP 30179, F-86962 Chasseneuil Futuroscope Cedex (France); Savchuk, Yaroslav [Institute for Superhard Materials, 2 Avtozavodskaya Street, Kiev 04074 (Ukraine); Joulain, Anne [Universite de Poitiers, CNRS/Lab. de Metallurgie Physique, UMR 6630 CNRS-Universite de Poitiers SP2MI, BP 30179, F-86962 Chasseneuil Futuroscope Cedex (France); Vlasenko, Andrey; Moshchil, Viktor; Sergienko, Nina; Dub, Sergey; Melnikov, Vladimir [Institute for Superhard Materials, 2 Avtozavodskaya Street, Kiev 04074 (Ukraine); Litzkendorf, Doris; Habisreuther, Tobias [Institut fuer Physikalische Hochtechnologie, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 9, Jena (Germany); Sverdun, Vladimir [Institute for Superhard Materials, 2 Avtozavodskaya Street, Kiev 04074 (Ukraine)

    2007-09-01

    The high pressure-high temperature oxygenation of thin-walled MT-YBCO (with artificially produced holes) allows decreasing the amount of macrocracks and increasing j{sub c} of the material. The MT-YBCO produced from Y123 and Y211 in the fields higher than 2 T showed higher j{sub c} in the ab-planes and lower j{sub c} in the c-direction than the MT-YBCO manufactured from Y123 and Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} and can be explained by the difference in twin and microcrack density that in turn can be affected by the difference in Y211 phase distribution.

  14. Fabrication and examination of epitaxial HTSC/isolator thin films on sapphire substrates for application in high frequency devices; Herstellung und Untersuchung von epitaktischen HTSL/Isolator-Schichten auf Saphirsubstraten zur Anwendung in HF-Bauelementen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kittel, H.

    1995-10-01

    The use of high temperature superconductors (HTSC) like YBCO with distinct lower surface resistance compared to normal conductors allows miniaturisation of high frequency (HF) circuits. The object of this work was the fabrication of YBCO thin films on low loss sapphire substrates applicable for stripline devices. To induce epitaxial growth and to avoid chemical reaction at the film-substrate boundary buffer layers were investigated. The examination of the growth properties and especially of the surface impedance has been allotted particular importance. In contrast to CaTiO{sub 3} it was possible to deposit CeO{sub 2}-buffer layers in direct growth up to a thickness of about 30 nm without cracks. The films show all growth properties required and even Laue-oscillations being a feature of high quality growth enabling the determination of film thickness distribution without destruction. The YBCO growth-, transport- and HF-properties meet the ones of YBCO films on standard substrates. A remarkable result is that the mosaic distribution of the CEO film, itself strongly dependend on film thickness, does not influence that of the YBCO film considerably. Rather it changes its shape subsequently due to YBCO deposition. A further particularity in contrast to deposition on standard substrates is the need to adjust the substrate heater tempeature for deposition of YBCO films with thicknesses {>=}300 nm needed for HF application. To demonstrate their usefullness some stripline devices like planar coils and side coupled filters have been fabricated and characterised. (orig.)

  15. In-situ deposition of YBCO high-Tc superconducting thin films by MOCVD and PE-MOCVD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, J.; Noh, D.W.; Chern, C.; Li, Y.Q.; Norris, P.E.; Kear, B.; Gallois, B.

    1991-01-01

    Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) offers the advantages of a high degree of compositional control, adaptability for large scale production, and the potential for low temperature fabrication. The capability of operating at high oxygen partial pressure is particularly suitable for in situ formation of high temperature superconducting (HTSC) films. Yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) thin films having a sharp zero-resistance transition with T(sub c) greater than 90 K and J(sub c) of approximately 10(exp 4) A on YSZ have been prepared, in situ, at a substrate temperature of about 800 C. Moreover, the ability to form oxide films at low temperature is very desirable for device applications of HTSC materials. Such a process would permit the deposition of high quality HTSC films with a smooth surface on a variety of substrates. Highly c-axis oriented, dense, scratch resistant, superconducting YBCO thin films with mirror-like surfaces have been prepared, in situ, at a reduced substrate temperature as low as 570 C by a remote microwave-plasma enhanced metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (PE-MOCVD) process. Nitrous oxide was used as a reactant gas to generate active oxidizing species. This process, for the first time, allows the formation of YBCO thin films with the orthorhombic superconducting phase in the as-deposited state. The as-deposited films grown by PE-MOCVD show attainment of zero resistance at 72 K with a transition width of about 5 K. MOCVD was carried out in a commercial production scale reactor with the capability of uniform deposition over 100 sq cm per growth run. Preliminary results indicate that PE-MOCVD is a very attractive thin film deposition process for superconducting device technology

  16. Growth and characterization of high-Tc Y1Ba2Cu3O7-x superconducting thin films by chemical vapor deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng, A.

    1992-01-01

    In chapter I, the current status of high-Tc superconductors (especially Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-x ), their microstructures and their unique physical properties are reviewed. An introduction to the potential and importance of those high-Tc superconductors in practical applications, especially for the application of YBCO thin films in microelectronics, is given. A general description of the common YBCO thin film fabrication and characterization techniques is also presented in this first chapter. Chapter II describes a new CVD process, temperature-controlled chemical vapor deposition (TC-CVD) for the growth of YBCO superconducting thin films on substrates of practical importance, such as sapphire (Al 2 O 3 ) and on substrates of lattice matched perovskite-type single crystals, such as LaAlO 3 . In order to verify the viability of this new CVD process the qualities of YBCO superconducting thin films were examined by various characterization methods, such as resistivity vs. temperature (R vs. T), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and magnetic susceptibility (x) measurements. Chapter III deals with the effect of substrate temperature on the properties of YBCO thin films made by TC-CVD. The principle objective of this study is to raise the transition temperature and critical current densities of CVD YBCO superconducting thin films. Understanding the relations between YBCO film growth process and varying substrate temperatures proved to be crucial in reaching this goal. The authors present the characterization results of YBCO thin films produced by different temperature schemes, to illustrate the importance of varying substrate temperature during the film growth. In chapter IV, the Rutherford backscattering (RBS) channeling technique is described. They have used RBS channeling to characterize the epitaxial YBCO thin film's crystallinity and lattice alignment. Transmission electron microscopy studies are also included

  17. Preparation of PZT/YBCO/YAlO heterostructure thin films by KrF excimer laser ablation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ebihara, Kenji; Kurogi, Hiromitsu; Yamagata, Yukihiko; Ikegami, Tomoaki; Grishin, A.M.

    1998-01-01

    The perovskite oxide YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) and Pb(Zr x Ti 1-x )O 3 (PZT) thin films have been deposited for superconducting-ferroelectric devices. KrF excimer laser ablation technique was used at the deposition conditions of 200--600 mTorr O 2 , 2-3J/cm 2 and 5--10 Hz operation frequency. Heterostructures of PZT-YBCO-YAlO 3 :Nd show the zero resistivity critical temperature of 82 K and excellent ferroelectric properties of remnant polarization 32 microC/cm 2 , coercive force of 80 kV/cm and dielectric constant 800. Cycling fatigue characteristics and leakage current are also discussed

  18. Removable polytetrafluoroethylene template based epitaxy of ferroelectric copolymer thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Wei; Chen, Qiusong; Zhang, Jian; Wang, Hui; Cheng, Qian; Jiang, Yulong; Zhu, Guodong

    2018-04-01

    In recent years ferroelectric polymers have shown their great potentials in organic and flexible electronics. To meet the requirements of high-performance and low energy consumption of novel electronic devices and systems, structural and electrical properties of ferroelectric polymer thin films are expected to be further optimized. One possible way is to realize epitaxial growth of ferroelectric thin films via removable high-ordered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) templates. Here two key parameters in epitaxy process, annealing temperature and applied pressure, are systematically studied and thus optimized through structural and electrical measurements of ferroelectric copolymer thin films. Experimental results indicate that controlled epitaxial growth is realized via suitable combination of both parameters. Annealing temperature above the melting point of ferroelectric copolymer films is required, and simultaneously moderate pressure (around 2.0 MPa here) should be applied. Over-low pressure (around 1.0 MPa here) usually results in the failure of epitaxy process, while over-high pressure (around 3.0 MPa here) often results in residual of PTFE templates on ferroelectric thin films.

  19. Correlating properties and microstructure of YBCO thin films by magnetic X-ray microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ruoss, Stephen; Stahl, Claudia; Weigand, Markus; Schuetz, Gisela [Max-Planck-Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstrasse 3, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Zahn, Patrick; Bayer, Jonas [Max-Planck-Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstrasse 3, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Research Institute for Innovative Surfaces, FINO, Aalen University, Beethovenstrasse 1, 73430 Aalen (Germany); Albrecht, Joachim [Research Institute for Innovative Surfaces, FINO, Aalen University, Beethovenstrasse 1, 73430 Aalen (Germany)

    2016-07-01

    The magnetic flux distribution in high-temperature superconductors namely YBCO has been observed using a novel high-resolution technique based on the X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). Therefore, a CoFeB layer is deposited on the superconductor which exhibits a strong XMCD-effect. X-ray absorption measurements with circular polarized radiation allows the analysis of the magnetic flux distribution in the superconductor via the soft-magnetic sensor layer [3,4]. In the total electron yield (TEY) mode of the scanning X-ray microscope (SXM) the surface structure and the magnetic domains can be imaged at the same time. Having obtained such high resolution images, the correlation of magnetic flux penetration and defect structure of YBCO thin films can be analyzed. The measurements have been performed at the scanning X-ray microscope MAXYMUS at Bessy II, HZB Berlin.

  20. Out-of-plane tilted Josephson junctions of bi-epitaxial YBa2Cu3O x thin films on tilted-axes NdGaO3 substrates with CeO2 seeding layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mozhaev, Peter B.; Mozhaeva, Julia E.; Bdikin, Igor K.; Kotelyanskii, Iosif M.; Luzanov, Valery A.; Zybtsev, Sergey G.; Hansen, Jorn Bindslev; Jacobsen, Claus S.

    2006-01-01

    Bi-epitaxial heterostructures YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (YBCO)/CeO 2 /NdGaO 3 were prepared on tilted-axes NdGaO 3 substrates using laser ablation technique. The heterostructures were patterned for electrical measurements using photolithography and ion-beam milling. Electrical anisotropy of the YBCO film was tested on the ion-beam etched surface. Bi-epitaxial junctions with four different orientations of the bi-epitaxial border were fabricated and studied. The measured I V curves showed flux-flow behavior with critical current density 2.5 x 10 4 A/cm 2 for the twist-type junctions and 1.5 x 10 3 A/cm 2 for [1 0 0]-tilt type junctions

  1. Growth of Highly Epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7-δ Films from a Simple Propionate-Based Solution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yue, Zhao; Torres, Pol; Tang, Xiao

    2015-01-01

    Intensive investigations have been conducted to develop epitaxial oxide thin films with superior electromagnetic performance by low-cost chemical solution deposition routes. In this paper, a novel propionate-based precursor solution without involving any other additive was proposed and employed...... to grow superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) films on LaAlO3 (LAO) single crystals. The precursor solutions are stable with a long shelf life of up to several months. Since the primary compositions are propionates after evaporating the solvent, the toxic reagents and evolved gases during solution synthesis...... and heat treatment can be eliminated completely. In this process, rapid pyrolysis and high conversation rate can also be achieved during growth of YBCO films in comparison with the conventional trifluoroacetate metal organic deposition routes. Remarkably, a 210 nm YBCO film exhibits high superconducting...

  2. Fabrication and characterization of hybrid Nb-YBCO dc SQUIDs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frack, E.K.; Drake, R.E.; Patt, R.; Radparvar, M.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports on the fabrication of hybrid low T c /high T c dc SQUIDs of two flavors. The first kind utilizes niobium tunnel junctions and a YBCO film strip as the most inductive portion of the SQUID loop. This configuration allows a direct measurement of the inductance of the YBCO microstrip from which the effective penetration depth can be calculated. The successful fabrication of these SQUIDs has required 1. superconducting Nb-to-YBCO contacts, 2. deposition and patterning of an SiO 2 insulation layer over YBCO, and 3. selective patterning of niobium and SiO 2 relative to YBCO. All these process steps are pertinent to the eventual use of YBCO thin films in electronic devices

  3. MOD approach for the growth of epitaxial CeO2 buffer layers on biaxially textured Ni-W substrates for YBCO coated conductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhuiyan, M S; Paranthaman, M; Sathyamurthy, S; Aytug, T; Kang, S; Lee, D F; Goyal, A; Payzant, E A; Salama, K

    2003-01-01

    We have grown epitaxial CeO 2 buffer layers on biaxially textured Ni-W substrates for YBCO coated conductors using a newly developed metal organic decomposition (MOD) approach. Precursor solution of 0.25 M concentration was spin coated on short samples of Ni-3 at%W (Ni-W) substrates and heat-treated at 1100 C in a gas mixture of Ar-4%H 2 for 15 min. Detailed x-ray studies indicate that CeO 2 films have good out-of-plane and in-plane textures with full-width-half-maximum values of 5.8 deg. and 7.5 deg., respectively. High temperature in situ XRD studies show that the nucleation of CeO 2 films starts at 600 C and the growth completes within 5 min when heated at 1100 C. SEM and AFM investigations of CeO 2 films reveal a fairly dense microstructure without cracks and porosity. Highly textured YSZ barrier layers and CeO 2 cap layers were deposited on MOD CeO 2 -buffered Ni-W substrates using rf-magnetron sputtering. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) was used to grow YBCO films on these substrates. A critical current, J c , of about 1.5 MA cm -2 at 77 K and self-field was obtained on YBCO (PLD)/CeO 2 (sputtered)/YSZ (sputtered)/CeO 2 (spin-coated)/Ni-W

  4. The origin of local strain in highly epitaxial oxide thin films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Chunrui; Liu, Ming; Chen, Chonglin; Lin, Yuan; Li, Yanrong; Horwitz, J S; Jiang, Jiechao; Meletis, E I; Zhang, Qingyu

    2013-10-31

    The ability to control the microstructures and physical properties of hetero-epitaxial functional oxide thin films and artificial structures is a long-sought goal in functional materials research. Normally, only the lattice misfit between the film and the substrate is considered to govern the physical properties of the epitaxial films. In fact, the mismatch of film unit cell arrangement and the Surface-Step-Terrace (SST) dimension of the substrate, named as "SST residual matching", is another key factor that significantly influence the properties of the epitaxial film. The nature of strong local strain induced from both lattice mismatch and the SST residual matching on ferroelectric (Ba,Sr)TiO3 and ferromagnetic (La,Ca)MnO3 thin films are systematically investigated and it is demonstrated that this combined effect has a dramatic impact on the physical properties of highly epitaxial oxide thin films. A giant anomalous magnetoresistance effect (~10(10)) was achieved from the as-designed vicinal surfaces.

  5. Thermodynamical fluctuations and critical behavior in weakly disordered YBCO thin and ultra-thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lesueur, J.; Aprili, M.; Degoy, S.; Chambonnet, D.; Keller, D.

    1996-01-01

    The specific role of disorder in the transport properties of YBCO has been investigated, using both light-ion irradiation of thin films to finely tune the amount of atomic disorder, and ultra-thin films grown to study possible dimensional effects. For weak disorder, the samples display a resistive transition typical of the mean-field paraconductive regime of a homogeneous media, well described by the Lawrence and Doniach model for layered superconductors. As the disorder increases, two effects take place. First, the c-axis coherence length becomes shorter, leading to a more anisotropic material, as shown by the excess conductivity above T c . Second, an incipient granularity is revealed, leading to a less sharper transition, which is analyzed within the random 3D XY critical model for the paracoherence transition. Two main results are derived: an experimental test of the Ginzburg criteria for the paracoherence transition, and a new fluctuation regime in nanometric grain size superconductors

  6. Untangling surface oxygen exchange effects in YBa2Cu3O6+x thin films by electrical conductivity relaxation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cayado, P; Sánchez-Valdés, C F; Stangl, A; Coll, M; Roura, P; Palau, A; Puig, T; Obradors, X

    2017-05-31

    The kinetics of oxygen incorporation (in-diffusion process) and excorporation (out-diffusion process), in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+x (YBCO) epitaxial thin films prepared using the chemical solution deposition (CSD) methodology by the trifluoroacetate route, was investigated by electrical conductivity relaxation measurements. We show that the oxygenation kinetics of YBCO films is limited by the surface exchange process of oxygen molecules prior to bulk diffusion into the films. The analysis of the temperature and oxygen partial pressure influence on the oxygenation kinetics has drawn a consistent picture of the oxygen surface exchange process enabling us to define the most likely rate determining step. We have also established a strategy to accelerate the oxygenation kinetics at low temperatures based on the catalytic influence of Ag coatings thus allowing us to decrease the oxygenation temperature in the YBCO thin films.

  7. Electrical properties of epitaxially grown VOx thin films

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rata, A.D.; Chezan, A.R; Presura, C.N.; Hibma, T

    2003-01-01

    High quality VOx thin films on MgO(100) substrates were prepared and studied from the structural and electronic point of view. Epitaxial growth was confirmed by RHEED and XRD techniques. The oxygen content of VOx thin films as a function of oxygen flux was determined using RBS. The upper and lower

  8. Flux pinning characteristics of Sn-doped YBCO film by the MOD process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, S.M.; Shin, G.M.; Yoo, S.I.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► The pinning effects of undoped and Sn-doped YBCO films by MOD were characterized. ► Sn-containing nanoparticles were trapped in Sn-doped YBCO films by MOD. ► Sn-containing nanoparticles were identified as the YBa 2 SnO 5.5 (YBSO) phase by TEM. ► The YBSO nanoparticles are responsible for improved flux pinning effect. ► We report the orientation relationship between YBSO nanoparticles and YBCO matrix. -- Abstract: Compared with the undoped YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ (YBCO) film, 10 mol% Sn-doped YBCO film exhibited significantly enhanced critical current densities (J c ) in magnetic fields up to 5 T at 65 and 77 K for H//c, indicating that the Sn-doped YBCO film possesses more effective flux pinning centers. Both samples were grown on the SrTiO 3 (STO) (1 0 0) single crystal substrates by the metal-organic deposition (MOD) process. Larger J c (77 K, 1 T) values of Sn-doped YBCO film are observed over a wide field-orientation angle (θ) except the field-orientations close to the ab-plane of YBCO (85° c values for 85° 2 SnO 5.5 (YBSO) phase by STEM (scanning transmission electron microscopy)-EDS (energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) analysis. Further analyses by HR-TEM (high resolution-transmission electron microscopy) revealed that YBSO nanoparticles completely surrounded by the YBCO matrix had random orientation with YBCO while those located at the interface of YBCO/STO substrate had epitaxial relationship with YBCO

  9. Preparation of thin-film (Ba(0.5),Sr(0.5))TiO3 by the laser ablation technique and electrical properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Soon-Gil; Lee, Jai-Chan; Safari, A.

    1994-09-01

    The chemical composition and electrical properties were investigated for epitaxially crystallized (Ba(0.5),Sr(0.5))TiO3 (BST) films deposited on Pt/MgO and YBa2Cu3O(7-x) (YBCO)/MgO substrates by the laser ablation technique. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy analysis shows that thin films on Pt/MgO have almost the same stoichiometric composition as the target material. Films deposited at 600 C exhibited an excellent epitaxial growth, a dielectric constant of 430, and a dissipation factor of 0.02 at 10 kHz frequency. They have a charge storage density of 40 fC/sq micron at an applied electric field of 0.15 MV/cm. Leakage current density of BST thin films on Pt/MgO was smaller than on YBCO/MgO. Their leakage current density is about 0.8 microA/sq cm at an applied electric field of 0.15 MV/cm.

  10. Enhancement of YBCO thin film thermal stability under 1 ATM oxygen pressure by Intermediate Cu.sub.2./sub. O nanolayer

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Cheng, L.; Wang, X.; Yao, X.; Wan, W.; Li, F.H.; Xiong, J.; Tao, B.W.; Jirsa, Miloš

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 114, č. 22 (2010), s. 7543-7547 ISSN 1520-6106 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ME10069 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100520 Keywords : YBCO thin films * thermal stability * thin film growth orientation * temperature optical microscopy Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 3.603, year: 2010

  11. Atomic oxygen effect on the in situ growth of stoichiometric YBa2Cu3O7 - delta epitaxial films by facing targets 90° off-axis radiofrequency magnetron sputtering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oya, Gin-ichiro; Diao, Chien Chen; Imai, Syozo; Uzawa, Takaaki; Sawada, Yasuji; Sugai, Tokuko; Nakajima, Kensuke; Yamashita, Tsutomu

    1995-06-01

    (110)- and (103)-oriented almost stoichiometric YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) films have been grown epitaxially on hot SrTiO3 (110) substrates using a 90° off-axis rf magnetron sputtering technique, for fabrication of vertical sandwich-type YBCO/insulator/YBCO or YBCO/normal metal/YBCO Josephson junctions utilizing the high-quality YBCO films. The YBCO epitaxial films with high transition temperatures Tc of ˜90 K have been deposited in situ only under the conditions of substrate temperatures Ts of ˜650-˜700 °C and oxygen partial pressure PO2 of ˜5×10-3-˜10×10-3 Torr, which are in close proximity to the critical stability/decomposition line for YBa2Cu3O6 in the ordinary Y-Ba-Cu-O phase diagram. Using a quadrupole mass spectrometer, a high density of atomic oxygen has directly been observed to be efficiently produced in the sputter glow discharge under the above optimum conditions of PO2. This atomic oxygen has played a key role in promoting the formation of the perovskite structure and the epitaxial growth of the YBCO films. Furthermore, Shapiro steps have successfully been observed for a Nb-YBCO point-contact junction, which is made by pressing a Nb needle on a surface-etched YBCO epitaxial film, under 525.4 GHz submillimeter-wave irradiation.

  12. Investigation on orientation, epitaxial growth and microstructure of a-axis-, c-axis-, (103)/(110)- and (113)-oriented YBa2Cu3O7-δ films prepared on (001), (110) and (111) SrTiO3 single crystal substrates by spray atomizing and coprecipitating laser chemical vapor deposition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Pei; Wang, Ying; Huang, Zhi liang; Mao, Yangwu; Xu, Yuan Lai

    2015-04-01

    a-axis-, c-axis-, (103)/(110)- and (113)-oriented YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) films were pareared by spray atomizing and coprecipitating laser chemical vapor deposition. The surface of the a-axis-oriented YBCO film consisted of rectangular needle-like grains whose in-plane epitaxial growth relationship was YBCO [100] // STO [001] (YBCO [001] // STO [100]), and that of the c-axis-oriented YBCO film consisted of dense flat surface with epitaxial growth relationship of YBCO [001] // STO [001] (YBCO [100] //STO [100]). For the (103)/(110)-oriented and (113)-oriented YBCO film, they showed wedge-shaped and triangle-shaped grains, with corresponding in-plane epitaxial growth relationship of YBCO [110] // STO [110] (YBCO [010] // STO [010]) and YBCO [100] // STO [100] (YBCO [113] // STO [111], respectively.

  13. Dependence of critical current density on crystalline direction in thin YBCO films

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paturi, P.; Peurla, M.; Raittila, J.

    2005-01-01

    The dependence of critical current density (J(c)) on the angle between the current direction and the (100) direction in the ab-plane of thin YBCO films deposited on (001)-SrTiO3 from natiocrystalline and microcrystalline targets is studied using magneto-optical microscopy. In the films made from...... the nanocrystalline target it is found that J(c) does not depend on the angle whereas J(c) decreases with increasing angle in the films made from the microcrystalline target. The films were characterized by detailed X-ray diffraction measurements. The findings are explained in terms of a network of planar defects...

  14. Microstructures and precipitates in laser-ablated YBCO thin films on SrTiO[sub 3] (110). [Y-Ba-Cu-O

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Catana, A. (IBM Research Div., Zurich Research Lab., Rueschlikon (Switzerland)); Rossel, C. (IBM Research Div., Zurich Research Lab., Rueschlikon (Switzerland)); Perrin, A. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Guilloux-Viry, M. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Thivet, C. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France))

    1993-05-10

    Thin YBCO films ([proportional to] 100 nm) have been deposited by laser ablation on SrTiO[sub 3] (110) substrates. Microstructural investigations have been performed by scanning tunneling and high-resolution electron microscopy. The results show that the surface corrugation is related to the growth of twisted YBCO domains that nucleate at the film/substrate interface. The twist is characterized by a 90 rotation of YBCO around the 100 and/or 010 axes, which results in [l brace]013[r brace] and/or [l brace]103[r brace] planes parallel to the substrate surface. Precipitates belonging to Y[sub 2]O[sub 3] are densely distributed on the film surface. No such second phases have been identified inside the YBCO films. The orientational relationship between precipitates and film is such that the lattice mismatch is minimized in the interface planes. A large number of precipitates grow from the film surface outwards. This phenomenon can be explained on the basis of lattice matching arguments and favorable growth kinetics. (orig.)

  15. Out-of-plane tilted Josephson junctions of bi-epitaxial YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O {sub x} thin films on tilted-axes NdGaO{sub 3} substrates with CeO{sub 2} seeding layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mozhaev, Peter B. [Institute of Physics and Technology RAS, Moscow 117218 (Russian Federation) and Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby DK-2800 (Denmark)]. E-mail: pbmozh@nm.ru; Mozhaeva, Julia E. [Institute of Physics and Technology RAS, Moscow 117218 (Russian Federation); Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby DK-2800 (Denmark); Bdikin, Igor K. [CICECO, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193 (Portugal); Kotelyanskii, Iosif M. [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS, Moscow 125009 (Russian Federation); Luzanov, Valery A. [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS, Moscow 125009 (Russian Federation); Zybtsev, Sergey G. [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS, Moscow 125009 (Russian Federation); Hansen, Jorn Bindslev [Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby DK-2800 (Denmark); Jacobsen, Claus S. [Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby DK-2800 (Denmark)

    2006-03-15

    Bi-epitaxial heterostructures YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O {sub x}(YBCO)/CeO{sub 2}/NdGaO{sub 3} were prepared on tilted-axes NdGaO{sub 3} substrates using laser ablation technique. The heterostructures were patterned for electrical measurements using photolithography and ion-beam milling. Electrical anisotropy of the YBCO film was tested on the ion-beam etched surface. Bi-epitaxial junctions with four different orientations of the bi-epitaxial border were fabricated and studied. The measured I V curves showed flux-flow behavior with critical current density 2.5 x 10{sup 4} A/cm{sup 2} for the twist-type junctions and 1.5 x 10{sup 3} A/cm{sup 2} for [1 0 0]-tilt type junctions.

  16. AC over-current characteristics of YBCO coated conductor with copper stabilizer layer considering insulation layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du, H.-I.; Kim, M.-J.; Kim, Y.-J.; Lee, D.-H.; Han, B.-S.; Song, S.-S.

    2010-01-01

    Compared with the first-generation BSCCO wire, the YBCO thin-film wire boasts low material costs and high J c and superior magnetic-field properties, among other strengths. Meanwhile, the previous BSCCO wire material for superconducting cables has been researched on considerably with regard to its post-wire quenching characteristics during the application of an alternating over-current. In this regard, the promising YBCO thin-film wire has yet to be further researched on. Moreover, still lacking is research on the YBCO thin-film wire with insulating layers, which is essential in the manufacture of superconducting cables, along with the testing of the application of an alternating over-current to the wire. In this study, YBCO thin-film wires with copper-stabilizing layers were used in testing alternating over-current application according to the presence or absence of insulating layers and to the thickness of such layers, to examine the post-quenching wire resistance increase and quenching trends. The YBCO thin-film wire with copper-stabilizing layers has a critical temperature of 90 K and a critical current of 85 A rms . Moreover, its current application cycle is 5.5 cycles, and its applied currents are 354, 517, 712, and 915 A peak . These figures enabled the YBCO thin-film wires with copper-stabilizing layers to reach 90, 180, 250, and 300 K, respectively, in this study. These temperatures serve as a relative reference to examine the post-quenching wire properties following the application of an alternating over-current.

  17. Tailoring the vortex pinning strength of YBCO thin films by systematic incorporation of hybrid artificial pinning centers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jha, Alok K; Matsumoto, Kaname; Horide, Tomoya; Saini, Shrikant; Mele, Paolo; Ichinose, Ataru; Yoshida, Yutaka; Awaji, Satoshi

    2015-01-01

    The effect of hybrid (columnar and spherical together) artificial pinning centers (APCs) on the vortex pinning properties of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ (YBCO) thin films is investigated in detail on the basis of variation of critical current density (J C ) with applied magnetic field and also with the orientation of the applied magnetic field at 65 K and 77 K. Premixed YBCO + BaSnO 3 composite targets are used for the deposition of the YBCO films which consist of self-assembled BaSnO 3 nanocolumns (1D APCs); on the other hand, for the deposition of the YBCO films with hybrid APCs (BaSnO 3 nanocolumns together with Y 2 O 3 nanoparticles), the surface of the premixed YBCO + BaSnO 3 composite targets are modified by putting a thin Y 2 O 3 sectored piece on the premixed YBCO + BaSnO 3 composite targets by means of silver paste. F pmax value increases systematically with incorporation of 1D and 1D and 3D APCs and it also shifts towards higher applied magnetic fields. Films with 1D APCs exhibit a strong J C peak at Θ = 0° (H//c-axis) whereas films consisting of hybrid APCs exhibit enhanced J C at all the investigated angular regimes. A possible mechanism of vortex pinning in samples with hybrid APCs is also discussed suggesting the role of 1D and 3D APCs. (paper)

  18. Deposition and characterisation of epitaxial oxide thin films for SOFCs

    KAUST Repository

    Santiso, José

    2010-10-24

    This paper reviews the recent advances in the use of thin films, mostly epitaxial, for fundamental studies of materials for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications. These studies include the influence of film microstructure, crystal orientation and strain in oxide ionic conducting materials used as electrolytes, such as fluorites, and in mixed ionic and electronic conducting materials used as electrodes, typically oxides with perovskite or perovskite-related layered structures. The recent effort towards the enhancement of the electrochemical performance of SOFC materials through the deposition of artificial film heterostructures is also presented. These thin films have been engineered at a nanoscale level, such as the case of epitaxial multilayers or nanocomposite cermet materials. The recent progress in the implementation of thin films in SOFC devices is also reported. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.

  19. Ag induced suppression of irradiation response in YBCO/Ag composite thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Behera, D.; Mohanty, T.; Mohanta, D.; Patnaik, K.; Mishra, N.C.; Senapati, L.; Kanjilal, D.; Mehta, G.K.; Pinto, R.

    1999-01-01

    Practical application of cuprate superconductors in radiation environment demands that these systems remain insensitive to the irradiation induced defects. The cuprate superconductors however are many orders of magnitude more sensitive than the conventional low T c superconductors. To suppress the irradiation sensitivity of cuprates we consider a crystal engineering approach where metal ions as Ag is made to occupy inter and intra-granular sites of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 thin films. We show that superconducting and normal state properties of YBCO/Ag composite thin films prepared by laser ablation remain unchanged under 140 MeV Si ion irradiation up to fluence of 8 x 10 14 ions/cm 2 . The inter- and intra-granular occupancy of Ag is shown to induce microstructural modifications and rigidity to the CuO chains respectively which in turn lead to the radiation insensitivity of the composite films. (author)

  20. Optical and electro-optic anisotropy of epitaxial PZT thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Minmin; Du, Zehui; Jing, Lin; Yoong Tok, Alfred Iing; Tong Teo, Edwin Hang

    2015-07-01

    Strong optical and electro-optic (EO) anisotropy has been investigated in ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.48Ti0.52)O3 thin films epitaxially grown on Nb-SrTiO3 (001), (011), and (111) substrates using magnetron sputtering. The refractive index, electro-optic, and ferroelectric properties of the samples demonstrate the significant dependence on the growth orientation. The linear electro-optic coefficients of the (001), (011), and (111)-oriented PZT thin films were 270.8, 198.8, and 125.7 pm/V, respectively. Such remarkable anisotropic EO behaviors have been explained according to the structure correlation between the orientation dependent distribution, spontaneous polarization, epitaxial strain, and domain pattern.

  1. Probing the bulk ionic conductivity by thin film hetero-epitaxial engineering

    KAUST Repository

    Pergolesi, Daniele; Roddatis, Vladimir; Fabbri, Emiliana; Schneider, Christof W; Lippert, Thomas; Traversa, Enrico; Kilner, John A

    2015-01-01

    Highly textured thin films with small grain boundary regions can be used as model systems to directly measure the bulk conductivity of oxygen ion conducting oxides. Ionic conducting thin films and epitaxial heterostructures are also widely used

  2. Zirconia thin films from aqueous precursors: Processing, microstructural development, and epitaxial growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, K.T.

    1991-01-01

    Thin films of ZrO 2 (Y 2 O 3 ) were prepared from aqueous salt precursors by spin coating. Films were pyrolyzed to produce porous polycrystalline thin films of 5-10 nm grain size. Subsequent microstructural development depends greatly upon the nature of the substrate. Upon randomly oriented sapphire, the films initially sintered to full density; further heat treatment and grain growth causes these films to break into interconnected islands and finally isolated particles. Thermodynamic calculations predict that breakup is energetically favorable when the grain-size film-thickness ratio exceeds a critical value. Upon basal-plane-oriented sapphire, grain growth and breakup prefer the (100) oriented grains, presumably because this orientation is a special interface of low energy. The isolated, oriented grains produced by film breakup act as seeds for the growth of newly deposited material. Upon (100) cubic zirconia, true epitaxial films develop. Epitaxial growth was observed for lattice mismatches up to 1.59%. Growth proceeds from a fine epitaxial layer which is produced during the initial stages of heat treatment, consuming the porous polycrystalline material and producing a dense epitaxial thin film whose misfit is accommodated by a combination of film strain and misfit dislocations

  3. Textured YBCO films grown on wires: application to superconducting cables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dechoux, N; Jiménez, C; Chaudouët, P; Rapenne, L; Sarigiannidou, E; Robaut, F; Petit, S; Garaudée, S; Porcar, L; Soubeyroux, J L; Odier, P; Bruzek, C E; Decroux, M

    2012-01-01

    Efforts to fabricate superconducting wires made of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) on La 2 Zr 2 O 7 (LZO) buffered and biaxially textured Ni-5 at.%W (NiW) are described. Wires were manually shaped from LZO buffered NiW tapes. Different diameters were produced: 1.5, 2 and 3 mm. The wires were further covered with YBCO grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). We developed an original device in which the round substrate undergoes an alternated rotation of 180° around its axis in addition to a reel-to-reel translation. This new approach allows covering the whole circumference of the wire with a YBCO layer. This was confirmed by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis coupled to a scanning electron microscope (SEM). For all wire diameters, the YBCO layer thickness varied from 300 to 450 nm, and the cationic composition was respected. Electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) measurements were performed directly on an as-deposited wire without surface preparation allowing the investigation of the crystalline quality of the film surface. Combining EBSD with XRD results we show that YBCO grows epitaxially on the LZO buffered NiW wires. For the first time, superconductive behaviors have been detected on round substrates in both the rolling and circular direction. J c reached 0.3 MA cm −2 as measured at 77 K by transport and third-harmonic detection. Those preliminary results confirm the effectiveness of the MOCVD for complex geometries, especially for YBCO deposition on small diameter wires. This approach opens huge perspectives for the elaboration of a new generation of YBCO-based round conductors. (paper)

  4. Tunable pinning effects produced by non-uniform antidot arrays in YBCO thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    George, J.; Jones, A.; Al-Qurainy, M. [Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, University of Wollongong, NSW (Australia); Fedoseev, S.A. [Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, University of Wollongong, NSW (Australia); Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, NSW (Australia); Rosenfeld, A. [Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, NSW (Australia); Pan, A.V. [Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, University of Wollongong, NSW (Australia); National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2017-04-15

    Uniform, graded and spaced arrays of 3 μm triangular antidots in pulsed laser deposited YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} (YBCO) superconducting thin films are compared by examining the improvements in the critical current density J{sub c} they produced. The comparison is made to establish the role of their lithographically defined (non-)uniformity and the effectiveness to control and/or enhance the critical current density. It is found that almost all types of non-uniform arrays, including graded ones enhance J{sub c} over the broad applied magnetic field and temperature range due to the modified critical state. Whereas uniform arrays of antidots either reduce or produce no effect on J{sub c} compared to the original (as-deposited) thin films. (copyright 2017 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  5. Effect of extrapolation length on the phase transformation of epitaxial ferroelectric thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, Z.S.; Tang, M.H.; Wang, J.B.; Zheng, X.J.; Zhou, Y.C.

    2008-01-01

    Effects of extrapolation length on the phase transformation of epitaxial ferroelectric thin films on dissimilar cubic substrates have been studied on the basis of the mean-field Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire (LGD) thermodynamic theory by taking an uneven distribution of the interior stress with thickness into account. It was found that the polarization of epitaxial ferroelectric thin films is strongly dependent on the extrapolation length of films. The physical origin of the extrapolation length during the phase transformation from paraelectric to ferroelectric was revealed in the case of ferroelectric thin films

  6. Growth of epitaxial Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films by pulsed laser deposition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, J.; Safari, A.; Pfeffer, R. L.

    1992-10-01

    Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films with a composition near the morphotropic phase boundary have been grown on MgO (100) and Y1Ba2Cu3Ox (YBCO) coated MgO substrates. Substrate temperature and oxygen pressure were varied to achieve ferroelectric films with a perovskite structure. Films grown on MgO had the perovskite structure with an epitaxial relationship with the MgO substrate. On the other hand, films grown on the YBCO/MgO substrate had an oriented structure to the surface normal with a misorientation in the plane parallel to the surface. The measured dielectric constant and loss tangent at 1 kHz were 670 and 0.05, respectively. The remnant polarization and coercive field were 42 μC/cm2 and 53 kV/cm. A large internal bias field (12 kV/cm) was observed in the as-deposited state of the undoped PZT films.

  7. Epitaxial ternary nitride thin films prepared by a chemical solution method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luo, Hongmei [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Feldmann, David M [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Wang, Haiyan [TEXAS A& M; Bi, Zhenxing [TEXAS A& M

    2008-01-01

    It is indispensable to use thin films for many technological applications. This is the first report of epitaxial growth of ternary nitride AMN2 films. Epitaxial tetragonal SrTiN2 films have been successfully prepared by a chemical solution approach, polymer-assisted deposition. The structural, electrical, and optical properties of the films are also investigated.

  8. PBCO/YBCO bilayer growth and optimization for the fabrication of buffered step-edge Josephson junctions

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Van Staden, WF

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Bilayers of PBCO and YBCO are grown epitaxially on MgO substrates using PLD. In this paper, researchers discuss the entire optimization process in detail, giving quantitative parameter values. Film characterization included XRD, AFM and susceptance...

  9. Thickness-modulated anisotropic ferromagnetism in Fe-doped epitaxial HfO2 thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wenlong; Liu, Ming; Zhang, Ruyi; Ma, Rong; Wang, Hong

    2017-10-01

    Epitaxial tetragonal Fe-doped Hf0.95Fe0.05O2 (FHO) thin films with various thicknesses were deposited on (001)-oriented NdCaAlO4 (NCAO) substrates by using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) system. The crystal structure and epitaxial nature of the FHO thin films were confirmed by typical x-ray diffraction (XRD) θ-2θ scan and reciprocal space mapping (RSM). The results indicate that two sets of lattice sites exist with two different crystal orientations [(001) and (100)] in the thicker FHO thin films. Further, the intensity of the (100) direction increases with the increase in thicknesses, which should have a significant effect on the anisotropic magnetization of the FHO thin films. Meanwhile, all the FHO thin films possess a tetragonal phase structure. An anisotropy behavior in magnetization has been observed in the FHO thin films. The anisotropic magnetization of the FHO thin films is slowly weakened as the thickness increases. Meanwhile, the saturation magnetization (Ms) of both in-plane and out-of-plane decreases with the increase in the thickness. The change in the anisotropic magnetization and Ms is attributed to the crystal lattice and the variation in the valence of Fe ions. These results indicate that the thickness-modulated anisotropic ferromagnetism of the tetragonal FHO epitaxial thin films is of potential use for the integration of metal-oxide semiconductors with spintronics.

  10. High quality uniform YBCO film growth by the metalorganic deposition using trifluoroacetates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, S.S., E-mail: wangssh@tsinghua.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Micro-nano Measurement, Manipulation and Physics (Beihang University), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100191 (China); Beijing Dingchen Superconducting Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100084 (China); Zhang, Z.L. [Key Laboratory of Micro-nano Measurement, Manipulation and Physics (Beihang University), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100191 (China); Wang, L. [Applied superconductivity research center, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Gao, L.K.; Liu, J. [Beijing Dingchen Superconducting Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100084 (China)

    2017-03-15

    Highlights: • High quality double-sided YBCO films are fabricated on LaAlO3 substrates by TFA-MOD method with diameters up to 2 in. • Large area YBCO films were very uniform in microstructure and thickness distribution, an average inductive Jc in excess of 6 MA/cm{sup 2} and low R{sub s} (10 GHz) of 0.3 mΩ at 77 K were obtained. • It will greatly promoted the research and applications of large-area YBCO films by chemical solution method. - Abstract: A need exists for the large-area superconducting YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-x} (YBCO) films with high critical current density for microwave communication and/or electric power applications. Trifluoroacetic metalorganic (TFA-MOD) method is a promising low cost technique for large-scale production of YBCO films, because it does not need high vacuum device and is easily applicable to substrates of various shape and size. In this paper, double-sided YBCO films with maximum 2 in diameter were prepared on LaAlO{sub 3} substrates by TFA-MOD method. Inductive critical current densitiy J{sub c}, microwave surface resistance R{sub s}, as well as the microstructure were characterized. A newly homemade furnace system was used to epitaxially grown YBCO films, which can improve the uniformity of YBCO film significantly by gas supply and temperature distribution proper design. Results showed that the large area YBCO films were very uniform in microstructure and thickness distribution, an average inductive J{sub c} in excess of 6 MA/cm{sup 2} with uniform distribution, and low R{sub s} (10 GHz) below 0.3 mΩ at 77 K were obtained. Andthe film filter may be prepared to work at temperatures lower than 74 K. These results are very close to the highest value of YBCO films made by conventional vacuum method, so we show a very promising route for large-scale production of high quality large-area YBCO superconducting films at a lower cost.

  11. Strain-induced properties of epitaxial VOx thin films

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rata, AD; Hibma, T

    We have grown VOx thin films on different substrates in order to investigate the influence of epitaxial strain on the transport properties. We found that the electric conductivity is much larger for films grown under compressive strain on SrTiO3 substrates, as compared to bulk material and VOx films

  12. Epitaxial thin film growth and properties of unconventional oxide superconductors. Cuprates and cobaltates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krockenberger, Y.

    2006-01-01

    The discovery of high-temperature superconductors has strongly driven the development of suited thin film fabrication methods of complex oxides. One way is the adaptation of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) for the growth of oxide materials. Another approach is the use of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) which has the advantage of good stoichiometry transfer from target to the substrate. Both techniques are used within this thesis. Epitaxial thin films of new materials are of course needed for future applications. In addition, the controlled synthesis of thin film matter which can be formed far away from thermal equilibrium allows for the investigation of fundamental physical materials properties. (orig.)

  13. Epitaxial thin film growth and properties of unconventional oxide superconductors. Cuprates and cobaltates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krockenberger, Y.

    2006-07-01

    The discovery of high-temperature superconductors has strongly driven the development of suited thin film fabrication methods of complex oxides. One way is the adaptation of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) for the growth of oxide materials. Another approach is the use of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) which has the advantage of good stoichiometry transfer from target to the substrate. Both techniques are used within this thesis. Epitaxial thin films of new materials are of course needed for future applications. In addition, the controlled synthesis of thin film matter which can be formed far away from thermal equilibrium allows for the investigation of fundamental physical materials properties. (orig.)

  14. Magnetic Field Enhanced Superconductivity in Epitaxial Thin Film WTe2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asaba, Tomoya; Wang, Yongjie; Li, Gang; Xiang, Ziji; Tinsman, Colin; Chen, Lu; Zhou, Shangnan; Zhao, Songrui; Laleyan, David; Li, Yi; Mi, Zetian; Li, Lu

    2018-04-25

    In conventional superconductors an external magnetic field generally suppresses superconductivity. This results from a simple thermodynamic competition of the superconducting and magnetic free energies. In this study, we report the unconventional features in the superconducting epitaxial thin film tungsten telluride (WTe 2 ). Measuring the electrical transport properties of Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) grown WTe 2 thin films with a high precision rotation stage, we map the upper critical field H c2 at different temperatures T. We observe the superconducting transition temperature T c is enhanced by in-plane magnetic fields. The upper critical field H c2 is observed to establish an unconventional non-monotonic dependence on temperature. We suggest that this unconventional feature is due to the lifting of inversion symmetry, which leads to the enhancement of H c2 in Ising superconductors.

  15. Excess hall effect in epitaxial YBCO film under moderate magnetic fields, approached by renormalized superconducting fluctuations model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puica, I.; Lang, W.; Goeb, W.; Sobolewski, R.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Measurements of the Hall effect and the resistivity on precisely-patterned YBCO thin film in moderate magnetic fields B from 0.5 to 6 T oriented parallel to the crystallographic c axis reveal a sign reversal of the Hall coefficient for B < 3 T. The data are confronted with the full quantitative expressions given by the renormalized fluctuation model for the excess Hall conductivity. The model offers a satisfactory quantitative approach to the experimental results, for moderate fields and temperatures near the critical region, provided the inhomogeneity of the critical temperature distribution is also taken into account. For lower fields and temperatures, the adequacy of the model is altered by vortex pinning. (author)

  16. Probing the bulk ionic conductivity by thin film hetero-epitaxial engineering

    KAUST Repository

    Pergolesi, Daniele

    2015-02-01

    Highly textured thin films with small grain boundary regions can be used as model systems to directly measure the bulk conductivity of oxygen ion conducting oxides. Ionic conducting thin films and epitaxial heterostructures are also widely used to probe the effect of strain on the oxygen ion migration in oxide materials. For the purpose of these investigations a good lattice matching between the film and the substrate is required to promote the ordered film growth. Moreover, the substrate should be a good electrical insulator at high temperature to allow a reliable electrical characterization of the deposited film. Here we report the fabrication of an epitaxial heterostructure made with a double buffer layer of BaZrO3 and SrTiO3 grown on MgO substrates that fulfills both requirements. Based on such template platform, highly ordered (001) epitaxially oriented thin films of 15% Sm-doped CeO2 and 8 mol% Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 are grown. Bulk conductivities as well as activation energies are measured for both materials, confirming the success of the approach. The reported insulating template platform promises potential application also for the electrical characterization of other novel electrolyte materials that still need a thorough understanding of their ionic conductivity.

  17. Deposition and characterisation of epitaxial oxide thin films for SOFCs

    KAUST Repository

    Santiso, José ; Burriel, Mó nica

    2010-01-01

    This paper reviews the recent advances in the use of thin films, mostly epitaxial, for fundamental studies of materials for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications. These studies include the influence of film microstructure, crystal orientation

  18. An all-field-range description of the critical current density in superconducting YBCO films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Golovchanskiy, I A; Pan, A V; Shcherbakova, O V; Fedoseev, S A; Dou, S X

    2011-01-01

    A new critical current density (J c ) model for high-quality YBCO (YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 ) thin films has been proposed, combining thermally activated flux creep with a vortex pinning potential for columnar defects. The pinning for thermally activated vortices has been described as strong pinning on chains of individual edge dislocations that form low-angle domain boundaries in high-quality YBCO thin films. The model yields an adequate description of the J c behaviour over the whole applied field range, as verified by direct measurements of J c in YBCO thin films grown by pulsed-laser deposition. It also indicates that the effective pinning landscape changes under the influence of the external conditions. Remarkably, the pinning potential obtained from the model is consistent with the values obtained for columnar defects, which confirms the validity of the overall approach.

  19. Liquid phase epitaxial growth of heterostructured hierarchical MOF thin films

    KAUST Repository

    Chernikova, Valeriya

    2017-05-10

    Precise control of epitaxial growth of MOF-on-MOF thin films, for ordered hierarchical tbo-type structures is demonstrated. The heterostructured MOF thin film was fabricated by successful sequential deposition of layers from two different MOFs. The 2-periodic layers, edge-transitive 4,4-square lattices regarded as supermolecular building layers, were commendably cross-linked using a combination of inorganic/organic and organic pillars.

  20. Liquid phase epitaxial growth of heterostructured hierarchical MOF thin films

    KAUST Repository

    Chernikova, Valeriya; Shekhah, Osama; Spanopoulos, Ioannis; Trikalitis, Pantelis N.; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

    2017-01-01

    Precise control of epitaxial growth of MOF-on-MOF thin films, for ordered hierarchical tbo-type structures is demonstrated. The heterostructured MOF thin film was fabricated by successful sequential deposition of layers from two different MOFs. The 2-periodic layers, edge-transitive 4,4-square lattices regarded as supermolecular building layers, were commendably cross-linked using a combination of inorganic/organic and organic pillars.

  1. Laser molecular beam epitaxy of ZnO thin films and heterostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Opel, Matthias; Geprägs, Stephan; Althammer, Matthias; Brenninger, Thomas; Gross, Rudolf

    2014-01-01

    We report on the growth of epitaxial ZnO thin films and ZnO-based heterostructures on sapphire substrates by laser molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We first discuss some recent developments in laser-MBE such as flexible ultraviolet laser beam optics, infrared laser heating systems or the use of atomic oxygen and nitrogen sources, and describe the technical realization of our advanced laser-MBE system. Then we describe the optimization of the deposition parameters for ZnO films such as laser fluence and substrate temperature and the use of buffer layers. The detailed structural characterization by x-ray analysis and transmission electron microscopy shows that epitaxial ZnO thin films with high structural quality can be achieved, as demonstrated by a small out-of-plane and in-plane mosaic spread as well as the absence of rotational domains. We also demonstrate the heteroepitaxial growth of ZnO-based multilayers as a prerequisite for spin transport experiments and the realization of spintronic devices. As an example, we show that TiN/Co/ZnO/Ni/Au multilayer stacks can be grown on (0 0 0 1)-oriented sapphire with good structural quality of all layers and well defined in-plane epitaxial relations. (paper)

  2. Substrate decoration for improvement of current-carrying capabilities of YBa2Cu3Ox thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khoryushin, Alexey V.; Mozhaev, Peter B.; Mozhaeva, Julia E.; Bdikin, Igor K.; Zhao, Yue; Andersen, Niels H.; Jacobsen, Claus S.; Hansen, Jørn Bindslev

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Effects of substrate decoration on properties of YBCO thin films were studied. ► Y 2 O 3 nanoparticles, ultra-thin Y 2 O 3 and Y:ZrO 2 layers were used as decoration layer. ► Decoration improves j C (5 T and 50 K) up to 0.97 MA/cm 2 vs. 0.76 MA/cm 2 for a reference film. ► Ultra-thin layer of yttria and yttria nanoparticles have a similar effect on YBCO. ► Y 2 O 3 decoration results in power law coefficient α = 0.3 vs. α = 0.4 for a reference film. -- Abstract: The effects of substrate decoration with yttria and Y:ZrO 2 on the structural and electrical properties of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (YBCO) thin films are studied. The films were deposited on (LaAlO 3 ) 3 –(Sr 2 AlTaO 8 ) 7 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Two different structures of decoration layer were applied, a template layer of nanoparticles and an uniform ultra-thin layer. Significant improvement of current-carrying capabilities was observed, especially at high external magnetic fields. Structural studies of these films reveal the presence of extended linear defects in the YBCO matrix. The formation of these structures is attributed to seeding of randomly oriented YBCO grains due to suppression of epitaxy in the very beginning of the deposition. The films of both kinds of decoration layers show nearly the same improvement of j C over the reference film at 77 and 50 K: j C (5T and 50 K) reaches 0.92 and 0.97 MA/cm 2 for uniform and template decoration layers. At 5 and 20 K the effect of template decoration layers is more beneficial: j C (5T and 20 K) values are 3.5 and 4.1 MA/cm 2 , j C (5T and 5 K) values are 6.4 and 7.9 MA/cm 2 , for uniform and template decoration layers, respectively

  3. Epitaxial growth of thin single-crystals and their quality study by Rutherford scattering in channeling conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirsch, Robert.

    1975-01-01

    Some aspects of thin crystalline layers are reminded: vacuum deposition, epitaxial growth, annealing and interdiffusion ion channeling and scattering of 1-2MeV helium ions are used to study the crystalline quality, the annealing effects and in some cases the interdiffusion in epitaxial multilayers of silver, copper gold and nickel. Thin single-crystals of gold and nickel oriented (III) plan parallel to the surface were obtained by successive epitaxial growth from muscovite mica clivages. The mounting techniques of single crystalline, self-supporting, 300 to 1200 Angstroems thick, gold and nickel targets of 3mm diameter are described. The gold single-crystals have dislocation densities of 10 8 cm -2 and the various epitaxial layers are obtained without twinning [fr

  4. Epitaxial growth of SrTiO3 thin film on Si by laser molecular beam epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, X. Y.; Miao, J.; Dai, J. Y.; Chan, H. L. W.; Choy, C. L.; Wang, Y.; Li, Q.

    2007-01-01

    SrTiO 3 thin films have been deposited on Si (001) wafers by laser molecular beam epitaxy using an ultrathin Sr layer as the template. X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that SrTiO 3 was well crystallized and epitaxially aligned with Si. Cross-sectional observations in a transmission electron microscope revealed that the SrTiO 3 /Si interface was sharp, smooth, and fully crystallized. The thickness of the Sr template was found to be a critical factor that influenced the quality of SrTiO 3 and the interfacial structure. Electrical measurements revealed that the SrTiO 3 film was highly resistive

  5. Ion beam deposited epitaxial thin silicon films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orrman-Rossiter, K.G.; Al-Bayati, A.H.; Armour, D.G.; Donnelly, S.E.; Berg, J.A. van den

    1991-01-01

    Deposition of thin films using low energy, mass-separated ion beams is a potentially important low temperature method of producing epitaxial layers. In these experiments silicon films were grown on Si (001) substrates using 10-200 eV 28 Si + and 30 Si + ions at substrate temperatures in the range 273-1073 K, under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions (deposition pressure -7 Pa). The film crystallinity was assessed in situ using medium energy ion scattering (MEIS). Films of crystallinity comparable to bulk samples were grown using 10-40 eV 28 Si + and 30 Si + ions at deposition temperatures in the range 623-823 K. These experiments confirmed the role of key experimental parameters such as ion energy, substrate temperature during deposition, and the surface treatment prior to deposition. It was found that a high temperature in situ anneal (1350-1450 K) gave the best results for epitaxial nucleation, whereas low energy (20-40 eV) Cl + ion bombardment resulted in amorphous film growth. The deposition energy for good epitaxial growth indicates that it is necessary to provide enough energy to induce local mobility but not to cause atomic displacements leading to the buildup of stable defects, e.g. divacancies, below the surface layer of the growing film. (orig.)

  6. Pulsed laser deposition of air-sensitive hydride epitaxial thin films: LiH

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oguchi, Hiroyuki, E-mail: oguchi@nanosys.mech.tohoku.ac.jp [Department of Nanomechanics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579 (Japan); Micro System Integration Center (muSIC), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-0845 (Japan); Isobe, Shigehito [Creative Research Institution, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021 (Japan); Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8628 (Japan); Kuwano, Hiroki [Department of Nanomechanics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579 (Japan); Shiraki, Susumu; Hitosugi, Taro [Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Orimo, Shin-ichi [Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan)

    2015-09-01

    We report on the epitaxial thin film growth of an air-sensitive hydride, lithium hydride (LiH), using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). We first synthesized a dense LiH target, which is key for PLD growth of high-quality hydride films. Then, we obtained epitaxial thin films of [100]-oriented LiH on a MgO(100) substrate at 250 °C under a hydrogen pressure of 1.3 × 10{sup −2} Pa. Atomic force microscopy revealed that the film demonstrates a Stranski-Krastanov growth mode and that the film with a thickness of ∼10 nm has a good surface flatness, with root-mean-square roughness R{sub RMS} of ∼0.4 nm.

  7. Pulsed laser deposition of air-sensitive hydride epitaxial thin films: LiH

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oguchi, Hiroyuki; Isobe, Shigehito; Kuwano, Hiroki; Shiraki, Susumu; Hitosugi, Taro; Orimo, Shin-ichi

    2015-01-01

    We report on the epitaxial thin film growth of an air-sensitive hydride, lithium hydride (LiH), using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). We first synthesized a dense LiH target, which is key for PLD growth of high-quality hydride films. Then, we obtained epitaxial thin films of [100]-oriented LiH on a MgO(100) substrate at 250 °C under a hydrogen pressure of 1.3 × 10 −2 Pa. Atomic force microscopy revealed that the film demonstrates a Stranski-Krastanov growth mode and that the film with a thickness of ∼10 nm has a good surface flatness, with root-mean-square roughness R RMS of ∼0.4 nm

  8. Epitaxy, thin films and superlattices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jagd Christensen, Morten

    1997-05-01

    This report is the result of structural investigations of 3d transition metal superlattices consisting of Fe/V, Cr/Mn, V/Mn and Fe/Mn, and a structural and magnetic study of a series of Ho/Pr alloys. The work includes preparation and characterization of substrates as well as growth of thin films and Fe/V superlattices by molecular beam epitaxy, including in-situ characterization by reflection high energy electron diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. Structural characterization has been done by x-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction. The x-ray diffraction experiments have been performed on the rotating copper anode at Risoe, and at synchrotron facilities in Hamburg and Brookhaven, and the neutron scattering was done at the Danish research reactor DR3 at Risoe. In addition to longitudinal scans, giving information about the structural parameters in the modulation direction, non-specular scans were also performed. This type of scans gives information about in-plane orientation and lattice parameters. From the analysis, structural information is obtained about lattice parameters, epitaxial strain, coherence lengths and crystallographic orientation for the superlattice systems, except Fe/Mn superlattices, which could not be modelled. For the Ho/Pr alloys, x-ray magnetic scattering was performed, and the crystal and magnetic structure was investigated. (au)

  9. Epitaxy, thin films and superlattices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jagd Christensen, Morten

    1997-05-01

    This report is the result of structural investigations of 3d transition metal superlattices consisting of Fe/V, Cr/Mn, V/Mn and Fe/Mn, and a structural and magnetic study of a series of Ho/Pr alloys. The work includes preparation and characterization of substrates as well as growth of thin films and Fe/V superlattices by molecular beam epitaxy, including in-situ characterization by reflection high energy electron diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. Structural characterization has been done by x-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction. The x-ray diffraction experiments have been performed on the rotating copper anode at Risoe, and at synchrotron facilities in Hamburg and Brookhaven, and the neutron scattering was done at the Danish research reactor DR3 at Risoe. In addition to longitudinal scans, giving information about the structural parameters in the modulation direction, non-specular scans were also performed. This type of scans gives information about in-plane orientation and lattice parameters. From the analysis, structural information is obtained about lattice parameters, epitaxial strain, coherence lengths and crystallographic orientation for the superlattice systems, except Fe/Mn superlattices, which could not be modelled. For the Ho/Pr alloys, x-ray magnetic scattering was performed, and the crystal and magnetic structure was investigated. (au) 14 tabs.; 58 ills., 96 refs.

  10. Preparation of YBa2Cu3O7-δ epitaxial thin films by pulsed ion-beam evaporation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sorasit, S.; Yoshida, G.; Suzuki, T.; Suematsu, H.; Jiang, W.; Yatsui, K.

    2001-01-01

    Thin films of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (Y-123) grown epitaxially have been successfully deposited by ion-beam evaporation (IBE). The c-axis oriented YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ thin films were successfully deposited on MgO and SrTiO 3 substrates. The Y-123 thin films which were prepared on the SrTiO 3 substrates were confirmed to be epitaxially grown, by X-ray diffraction analysis. The instantaneous deposition rate of the Y-123 thin films was estimated as high as 4 mm/s. (author)

  11. Epitaxial growth of SrTiO3 (001) films on multilayer buffered GaN (0002) by pulsed laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo, W B; Jing, J; Shuai, Y; Zhu, J; Zhang, W L; Zhou, S; Gemming, S; Du, N; Schmidt, H

    2013-01-01

    SrTiO 3 films were grown on CeO 2 /YSZ/TiO 2 multilayer buffered GaN/Al 2 O 3 (0001) substrates with and without the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) bridge layer by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The deposition process of the buffer layers was in situ monitored by reflection high-energy electron diffraction. The crystallographical orientation of the heterostructure was studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD). With the introduction of the YBCO (001) layer, the STO (001) film was epitaxially grown on the GaN substrate. There were three sets of inplane domains separated from each other by 30° in both STO and YBCO buffer layers. The epitaxial relationship was STO (002)[110]∥YBCO(001)[110]∥CeO 2 (002)[010]∥YSZ (002)[010]∥GaN(0001)[1 1 -2 0] according to XRD results. By comparing the orientation of STO grown on GaN with and without the YBCO top buffer layer, the surface chemical bonding was found to be a very important factor in determining the orientation relationship of STO.

  12. High quality atomically thin PtSe2 films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Mingzhe; Wang, Eryin; Zhou, Xue; Zhang, Guangqi; Zhang, Hongyun; Zhang, Kenan; Yao, Wei; Lu, Nianpeng; Yang, Shuzhen; Wu, Shilong; Yoshikawa, Tomoki; Miyamoto, Koji; Okuda, Taichi; Wu, Yang; Yu, Pu; Duan, Wenhui; Zhou, Shuyun

    2017-12-01

    Atomically thin PtSe2 films have attracted extensive research interests for potential applications in high-speed electronics, spintronics and photodetectors. Obtaining high quality thin films with large size and controlled thickness is critical. Here we report the first successful epitaxial growth of high quality PtSe2 films by molecular beam epitaxy. Atomically thin films from 1 ML to 22 ML have been grown and characterized by low-energy electron diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Moreover, a systematic thickness dependent study of the electronic structure is revealed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and helical spin texture is revealed by spin-ARPES. Our work provides new opportunities for growing large size single crystalline films to investigate the physical properties and potential applications of PtSe2.

  13. Enhancement of flux pinning of TFA-MOD YBCO thin films by embedded nanoscale Y2O3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cui, X M; Tao, B W; Tian, Z; Xiong, J; Zhang, X F; Li, Y R

    2006-01-01

    YBCO films with different levels of excess yttrium were prepared on single-crystal LaAlO 3 with metal-organic deposition using trifluoroacetates (TFA-MOD). X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope measurements revealed excess yttrium in YBCO in the form of nanoscale Y 2 O 3 with (400) preferred orientation. The field dependence of J c demonstrated that YBCO films with Y 2 O 3 doping had enhanced J c in comparison with stoichiometric YBCO films in the magnetic fields. We think the reason for this is that the Y 2 O 3 nanoparticles act as pinning centres. YBCO films with 60% yttrium excess display 43% increased J c compared to stoichiometric YBCO films at a magnetic field of 1 T

  14. Growth of Sr2CrReO6 epitaxial thin films by pulsed laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orna, J.; Morellon, L.; Algarabel, P.A.; Pardo, J.A.; Magen, C.; Varela, M.; Pennycook, S.J.; De Teresa, J.M.; Ibarra, M.R.

    2010-01-01

    We report the growth, structural, magnetic, and electrical transport properties of epitaxial Sr 2 CrReO 6 thin films. We have succeeded in depositing films with a high crystallinity and a relatively large cationic order in a narrow window of growth parameters. The epitaxy relationship is Sr 2 CrReO 6 (SCRO) (0 0 1) [1 0 0]-parallel SrTiO 3 (STO) (0 0 1) [1 1 0] as determined by high-resolution X-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Typical values of saturation magnetization of M S (300 K)=1 μ B /f.u. and ρ (300 K)=2.8 mΩ cm have been obtained in good agreement with previous published results in sputtered epitaxial thin films. We estimate that the antisite defects concentration in our thin films is of the order of 14%, and the measured Curie temperature is T C =481(2) K. We believe these materials be of interest as electrodes in spintronic devices.

  15. Microstructure and magnetic properties of FeCo epitaxial thin films grown on MgO single-crystal substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shikada, Kouhei; Ohtake, Mitsuru; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

    2009-01-01

    FeCo epitaxial films were prepared on MgO(100), MgO(110), and MgO(111) substrates by ultrahigh vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. FeCo thin films with (100), (211), and (110) planes parallel to the substrate surface grow on respective MgO substrates. FeCo/MgO interface structures are studied by high-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and the epitaxial growth mechanism is discussed. Atomically sharp boundaries are recognized between the FeCo thin films and the MgO substrates where misfit dislocations are introduced in the FeCo thin films presumably to decrease the lattice misfits. Misfit dislocations are observed approximately every 9 and 1.4 nm in FeCo thin film at the FeCo/MgO(100) and the FeCo/MgO(110) interfaces, respectively. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the lattice spacing measured parallel to the single-crystal substrate surfaces are in agreement within 0.1% with those of the respective bulk values of Fe 50 Co 50 alloy crystal, showing that the FeCo film strain is very small. The magnetic anisotropies of these epitaxial films basically reflect the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of bulk FeCo alloy crystal

  16. Strain quantification in epitaxial thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cushley, M

    2008-01-01

    Strain arising in epitaxial thin films can be beneficial in some cases but devastating in others. By altering the lattice parameters, strain may give a thin film properties hitherto unseen in the bulk material. On the other hand, heavily strained systems are prone to develop lattice defects in order to relieve the strain, which can cause device failure or, at least, a decrease in functionality. Using convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), it is possible to determine local strains within a material. By comparing the results from CBED and HRTEM experiments, it is possible to gain a complete view of a material, including the strain and any lattice defects present. As well as looking at how the two experimental techniques differ from each other, I will also look at how results from different image analysis algorithms compare. Strain in Si/SiGe samples and BST/SRO/MgO capacitor structures will be discussed.

  17. Superconductivity of Rock-Salt Structure LaO Epitaxial Thin Film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaminaga, Kenichi; Oka, Daichi; Hasegawa, Tetsuya; Fukumura, Tomoteru

    2018-06-06

    We report a superconducting transition in a LaO epitaxial thin film with the superconducting transition onset temperature ( T c ) at around 5 K. This T c is higher than those of other lanthanum monochalcogenides and opposite to their chemical trend: T c = 0.84, 1.02, and 1.48 K for LaX (X = S, Se, Te), respectively. The carrier control resulted in a dome-shaped T c as a function of electron carrier density. In addition, the T c was significantly sensitive to epitaxial strain in spite of the highly symmetric crystal structure. This rock-salt superconducting LaO could be a building block to design novel superlattice superconductors.

  18. General Top-Down Ion Exchange Process for the Growth of Epitaxial Chalcogenide Thin Films and Devices

    KAUST Repository

    Xia, Chuan; Li, Peng; Li, Jun; Jiang, Qiu; Zhang, Xixiang; Alshareef, Husam N.

    2016-01-01

    ) epitaxial chalcogenide metallic and semiconducting films and (2) free-standing chalcogenide films and (3) completed in situ formation of atomically sharp heterojunctions by selective ion exchange. Epitaxial NiCo2S4 thin films prepared by our process show 115

  19. General Top-Down Ion Exchange Process for the Growth of Epitaxial Chalcogenide Thin Films and Devices

    KAUST Repository

    Xia, Chuan

    2016-12-30

    We demonstrate a versatile top-down ion exchange process, done at ambient temperature, to form epitaxial chalcogenide films and devices, with nanometer scale thickness control. To demonstrate the versatility of our process we have synthesized (1) epitaxial chalcogenide metallic and semiconducting films and (2) free-standing chalcogenide films and (3) completed in situ formation of atomically sharp heterojunctions by selective ion exchange. Epitaxial NiCo2S4 thin films prepared by our process show 115 times higher mobility than NiCo2S4 pellets (23 vs 0.2 cm(2) V-1 s(-1)) prepared by previous reports. By controlling the ion exchange process time, we made free-standing epitaxial films of NiCo2S4 and transferred them onto different substrates. We also demonstrate in situ formation of atomically sharp, lateral Schottky diodes based on NiCo2O4/NiCo2S4 heterojunction, using a single ion exchange step. Additionally, we show that our approach can be easily extended to other chalcogenide semiconductors. Specifically, we used our process to prepare Cu1.8S thin films with mobility that matches single crystal Cu1.8S (25 cm(2) V-1 s(-1)), which is ca. 28 times higher than the previously reported Cu1.8S thin film mobility (0.58 cm(2) V-1 s(-1)), thus demonstrating the universal nature of our process. This is the first report in which chalcogenide thin films retain the epitaxial nature of the precursor oxide films, an approach that will be useful in many applications.

  20. Growth and BZO-doping of the nanostructured YBCO thin films on buffered metal substrates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huhtinen, H.; Irjala, M.; Paturi, P.

    2010-01-01

    The growth of the nanostructured YBa2Cu3O6+x (YBCO) films is investigated for the first time on biaxially textured NiW substrates used in coated conductor technology. The optimization process of superconducting layers is made in wide magnetic field and temperature range in order to understand...... the vortex pinning structure and mechanism in our films prepared from nanostructured material. Structural analysis shows that growth mechanism in YBCO films grown on NiW is completely different when compared to YBCO on STO. Films on NiW are much rougher, there is huge in-plane variation of YBCO crystals...... and moreover out-of-plane long range lattice ordering is greatly reduced. Magnetic measurements demonstrate that jc in films grown on NiW is higher in high magnetic fields and low temperatures. This effect is connected to the amount of pinning centres observed in films on metal substrates which are effective...

  1. Fluorination of an epitaxial YBaCuO thin film with controlled oxygen vacancies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perrin, C. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Pena, O. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Mokhtari, M. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Thivet, C. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Guilloux-Viry, M. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Perrin, A. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Sergent, M. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France))

    1993-05-10

    An intentionally oxygen-deficient thin film, epitaxially grown in-situ on a (100) MgO substrate by laser ablation at 750 C under a low pressure oxygen atmosphere, has been treated under NF[sub 3] diluted in N[sub 2] at temperatures not exceeding 280 C. During the fluorination process the epitaxy of the thin film is maintained; its Tc onset progressively increases from 54 K up to 85.6 K and the width of the inductive transition is narrow at the end of treatment (1.2 K). These results are discussed and compared to those obtained during the fluorination of oxygen-deficient YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub x] ceramics. (orig.)

  2. The mechanism of sputter-induced orientation change in YBCO films on MgO (001)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Y.; Vuchic, B.V.; Baldo, P.; Merkle, K.L.; Buchholz, D.B.; Mahajan, S.; Lei, J.S.; Markworth, P.R.; Chang, R.P.H.

    1996-12-01

    The mechanisms of the sputter-induced orientation change in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) films grown on MgO (001) substrates by pulsed organometallic beam epitaxy (POMBE) are investigated by x-ray diffraction. Rutherford backscatter spectroscopy (RBS), cross-section TEM (XTEM) and microanalysis. It is found that the W atom implantation concurring with the ion sputtering plays an important role in effecting the orientation change. This implantation changes the surface structure of the substrate and induces an intermediate layer in the initial growth of the YBCO film, which in turn acts as a template that induces the orientation change. It seems that the surface morphology change caused by ion sputtering has only a minor effect on the orientation change

  3. A-axis oriented superconductive YBCO thin films. Growth mechanism on MgO substrate. [Y-Ba-Cu-O

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hamet, J F; Mercey, B; Hervieu, M; Poullain, G; Raveau, B [Centre de Materiaux Supraconducteurs, CRISMAT-ISMRa, 14 - Caen (France)

    1992-08-01

    The growth mechanism of a-axis oriented YBCO thin films has been studied by TEM. At 650degC, a disordered cubic perovskite is first formed with a[sub p]parallela[sub MgO], then a strained tetragonal a-axis oriented perovskite is observed, with c=3a[sub p], slightly misoriented with respect to MgO and showing a marquetry-like contrast. At 750degC, a [1anti 10] axis oriented perovskite is formed whose lattice exhibits a rotation with respect to MgO lattice, but also a tilting of the [CuO[sub 2

  4. Quasi-epitaxial barium hexaferrite thin films prepared by a topotactic reactive diffusion process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Siqin; Yue, Zhenxing; Zhang, Xiaozhi; Li, Longtu

    2014-01-01

    Quasi-epitaxial barium hexaferrite thin films (BaM) with crystallographic c-axis parallel to film normal were prepared through a topotactic reactive diffusion process using two-step solution deposition on c-plane sapphire. The two-step spin coating process involves preparing an epitaxial hematite film, coating the film with barium precursor solution and thermal annealing. The crystal orientation and magnetic anisotropy of BaM thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis, SEM observation and magnetic measurements. Hysteresis loops showed good magnetic anisotropy and high remanence ratio (RR) Mr/Ms = 0.97. The films fabricated by two-step spin coating process displayed wider rocking curve width but better magnetic anisotropy than one-step spin coating. The possible mechanism of this discrepancy is discussed in this paper.

  5. Quasi-epitaxial barium hexaferrite thin films prepared by a topotactic reactive diffusion process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meng, Siqin; Yue, Zhenxing, E-mail: yuezhx@tsinghua.edu.cn; Zhang, Xiaozhi; Li, Longtu

    2014-01-30

    Quasi-epitaxial barium hexaferrite thin films (BaM) with crystallographic c-axis parallel to film normal were prepared through a topotactic reactive diffusion process using two-step solution deposition on c-plane sapphire. The two-step spin coating process involves preparing an epitaxial hematite film, coating the film with barium precursor solution and thermal annealing. The crystal orientation and magnetic anisotropy of BaM thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis, SEM observation and magnetic measurements. Hysteresis loops showed good magnetic anisotropy and high remanence ratio (RR) Mr/Ms = 0.97. The films fabricated by two-step spin coating process displayed wider rocking curve width but better magnetic anisotropy than one-step spin coating. The possible mechanism of this discrepancy is discussed in this paper.

  6. Investigation of the epitaxial growth of Pb(Zr{sub 0,52}Ti{sub 0,48})O{sub 3} thin films and their application in ferroelectric superconducting field effect transistors; Untersuchung des epitaktischen Wachstums duenner Pb(Zr{sub 0,52}Ti{sub 0,48})O{sub 3}-Schichten und ihre Anwendung in ferroelektrischen supraleitenden Feldeffektransistoren

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aidam, R

    1999-02-01

    The influences of the polarization of ferroelectric Pb(Zr{sub 0.52}Ti{sub 0.48})O{sub 3} (PZT) films on the properties of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} (YBCO) films were investigated in ferroelectric superconducting field effect transistors (FSuFETs). First the epitaxial growth of PZT films deposited by reactive sputtering in an argon/oxygen atmosphere was investigated. SrTiO{sub 3} single crystals and YBCO thin films proved as suitable substrates. The lead content of the PZT films depended sensitively on the deposition temperature T{sub s} and the gas pressure. By using a high pressure of 0.26 mbar the correct stoichiometry could be achieved up to an maximum T{sub s} of 580 C. Above a minimum T{sub s} of 540 C the ferroelectric perovskite structure grew. In the optimum temperature range between 560 C and 580 C the films grew with a minimum mosaic spread of {delta}{omega} < 0.3 and a small amount of less than 1% of paraelectric phase. The best ferroelectric properties could be obtained for films with the highest degree of epitaxy and the correct stoichiometry. The maximum remanent polarization amounted P{sub r} = 61 {mu}C/cm{sup 2} and the coercive field E{sub C} was 150 kV/cm at 77 K. The breakdown field was four to five times larger than E{sub C}. Fatigue studies revealed a loss of switchable polarization of 30% after 10{sup 8} cycles at 77 K, whereas loss of retention and the effect of ageing were negligible. During the process of oxidation of the heterostructure at 400 C and an oxygen pressure of 800 mbar a reaction at the PZT/YBCO interface was observed, which lead to a degradation of the transport properties of the superconductor. This reaction could be avoided by a thin SrTiO{sub 3} buffer layer without disturbing the ferroelectric hysteresis essentially.

  7. Preparation of epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7-y films on CeO2-buffered yttria-stabilized zirconia substrates by fluorine-free metalorganic deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsukada, Kenichi; Yamaguchi, Iwao; Sohma, Mitsugu; Kondo, Wakichi; Kamiya, Kunio; Kumagai, Toshiya; Manabe, Takaaki

    2007-01-01

    Epitaxial YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-y (YBCO) films of 120-550 nm thickness have been prepared by fluorine-free metalorganic deposition using a metal acetylacetonate-based coating solution on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates with an evaporated CeO 2 buffer layer. The YBCO films were highly (0 0 1)-oriented by X-ray diffraction θ-2θ scanning and φ scanning. The YBCO films 120-400 nm in thickness demonstrated high critical current densities (J c ) with an average in excess of 3 MA/cm 2 at 77 K using an inductive method. In particular, a 210-nm-thick film showed a J c of 4.5 MA/cm 2 . These excellent properties are attributed to the high crystallinity, small in-plane fluctuation due to high epitaxy and to the microstructure free from grain boundaries in the YBCO films. Further increase of film thickness increased the fraction of irregularities, i.e., precipitates and micropores, in the film surfaces, resulting in lower J c values

  8. Study on optimization of YBCO thin film stack for compact NMR magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, S.B.; Kimoto, T.; Hahn, S.; Iwasa, Y.; Voccio, J.; Tomita, M.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Stacking methods for compact NMR magnet using YBCO thin films were tested. ► The stacking angles are 0°, 22.5° and 90° against the rolling direction. ► The best spatial field homogeneity was obtained in rotation angle of 22.5°. ► The maximum trapped magnetic fields of 0.4 T was obtained at 77.4 K. ► The maximum trapped magnetic fields of 0.95 T was obtained at 21 K. -- Abstract: A compact high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet, which consists of a stack of 500 HTS thin film annuli, was constructed and tested. Each thin film annulus, manufactured by the AMSC using the Rolling Assisted Bi-axially Textured Substrate (RABiTS) method, has a square cross-section of 40 mm × 40 mm with a thickness of 80 m. It has a 25-mm center hole created by machining. This paper reports a study on the anisotropic J c issue due to the rolling procedure of the Ni substrate direction and its impact on field homogeneity. Also, three different stacking methods with rotation angles of 22.5°, 90°, and 0° against the rolling direction have been tested to study their impacts on strength, spatial homogeneity, and temporal stability of trapped fields. Finally, the 500-annulus magnet was tested at 21 K under a cryogen-free environment using a GM cryocooler. The spatial field homogeneity and temporal stability were measured at 21 K and compared with those obtained in a bath of liquid nitrogen at 77 K

  9. Quality of YBCO thin films grown on LAO substrates exposed to the film deposition - film removal processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blagoev, B; Nurgaliev, T [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Mozhaev, P B [Institute of Physics and Technology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117218 Moscow (Russian Federation); Sardela, M; Donchev, T [Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, 104 South Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)], E-mail: blago_sb@yahoo.com

    2008-05-01

    The characteristics are investigated of high temperature superconducting YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} (YBCO) films grown on LaAlO{sub 3} (LAO) substrates being exposed a different number of times to YBCO film deposition and acid-solution-based cleaning procedures. Possible mechanisms of degradation of the substrate surface quality reflecting on the growing YBCO film parameters are discussed and analyzed.

  10. Film-thickness and composition dependence of epitaxial thin-film PZT-based

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nguyen, Duc Minh; Dekkers, Jan M.; Vu, Hung Ngoc; Rijnders, Augustinus J.H.M.

    2013-01-01

    The transverse piezoelectric coefficient e31,f and mass-sensitivity were measured on piezoelectric cantilevers based on epitaxial PZT thin-films with film-thicknesses ranging from 100 to 2000 nm. The highest values of e31,f and mass-sensitivity were observed at a film thickness of 500–750 nm, while

  11. Zone refining of sintered, microwave-derived YBCO superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Warrier, K.G.K.; Varma, H.K.; Mani, T.V.; Damodaran, A.D.; Balachandran, U.

    1993-07-01

    Post-sintering treatments such as zone melting under thermal gradient has been conducted on sintered YBCO tape cast films. YBCO precursor powder was derived through decomposition of a mixture of nitrates of cations in a microwave oven for ∼4 min. The resulting powder was characterized and made into thin sheets by tape casting and then sintered at 945 C for 5 h. The sintered tapes were subjected to repeated zone refining operations at relatively high speeds of ∼30 mm/h. A microstructure having uniformly oriented grains in the a-b plane throughout the bulk of the sample was obtained by three repeated zone refining operations. Details of precursor preparation, microwave processing and its advantages, zone refining conditions, and microstructural features are presented in this paper

  12. Substrate decoration for improvement of current-carrying capabilities of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khoryushin, Alexey V., E-mail: khoryushin@ya.ru [Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DTU Building 309, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800 (Denmark); Mozhaev, Peter B.; Mozhaeva, Julia E. [Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DTU Building 309, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800 (Denmark); Bdikin, Igor K. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Zhao, Yue [Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Andersen, Niels H.; Jacobsen, Claus S.; Hansen, Jørn Bindslev [Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DTU Building 309, Kgs. Lyngby DK-2800 (Denmark)

    2013-03-15

    Highlights: ► Effects of substrate decoration on properties of YBCO thin films were studied. ► Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles, ultra-thin Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Y:ZrO{sub 2} layers were used as decoration layer. ► Decoration improves j{sub C} (5 T and 50 K) up to 0.97 MA/cm{sup 2} vs. 0.76 MA/cm{sup 2} for a reference film. ► Ultra-thin layer of yttria and yttria nanoparticles have a similar effect on YBCO. ► Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} decoration results in power law coefficient α = 0.3 vs. α = 0.4 for a reference film. -- Abstract: The effects of substrate decoration with yttria and Y:ZrO{sub 2} on the structural and electrical properties of the YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} (YBCO) thin films are studied. The films were deposited on (LaAlO{sub 3}){sub 3}–(Sr{sub 2}AlTaO{sub 8}){sub 7} substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Two different structures of decoration layer were applied, a template layer of nanoparticles and an uniform ultra-thin layer. Significant improvement of current-carrying capabilities was observed, especially at high external magnetic fields. Structural studies of these films reveal the presence of extended linear defects in the YBCO matrix. The formation of these structures is attributed to seeding of randomly oriented YBCO grains due to suppression of epitaxy in the very beginning of the deposition. The films of both kinds of decoration layers show nearly the same improvement of j{sub C} over the reference film at 77 and 50 K: j{sub C} (5T and 50 K) reaches 0.92 and 0.97 MA/cm{sup 2} for uniform and template decoration layers. At 5 and 20 K the effect of template decoration layers is more beneficial: j{sub C} (5T and 20 K) values are 3.5 and 4.1 MA/cm{sup 2}, j{sub C} (5T and 5 K) values are 6.4 and 7.9 MA/cm{sup 2}, for uniform and template decoration layers, respectively.

  13. Anatase thin film with diverse epitaxial relationship grown on yttrium stabilized zirconia substrate by chemical vapor deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyagi, Takahira; Ogawa, Tomoyuki; Kamei, Masayuki; Wada, Yoshiki; Mitsuhashi, Takefumi; Yamazaki, Atsushi

    2003-01-01

    An anatase epitaxial thin film with diverse epitaxial relationship, YSZ (001) // anatase (001), YSZ (010) // anatase (110), was grown on a single crystalline yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ) (001) substrate by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the (004) reflection of this anatase epitaxial film was 0.4deg, and the photoluminescence of this anatase epitaxial film showed visible emission with broad spectral width and large Stokes shift at room temperature. These results indicate that this anatase epitaxial film possessed almost equal crystalline quality compared with that grown under identical growth conditions on single crystalline SrTiO 3 substrate. (author)

  14. Chemically stabilized epitaxial wurtzite-BN thin film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vishal, Badri; Singh, Rajendra; Chaturvedi, Abhishek; Sharma, Ankit; Sreedhara, M. B.; Sahu, Rajib; Bhat, Usha; Ramamurty, Upadrasta; Datta, Ranjan

    2018-03-01

    We report on the chemically stabilized epitaxial w-BN thin film grown on c-plane sapphire by pulsed laser deposition under slow kinetic condition. Traces of no other allotropes such as cubic (c) or hexagonal (h) BN phases are present. Sapphire substrate plays a significant role in stabilizing the metastable w-BN from h-BN target under unusual PLD growth condition involving low temperature and pressure and is explained based on density functional theory calculation. The hardness and the elastic modulus of the w-BN film are 37 & 339 GPa, respectively measured by indentation along direction. The results are extremely promising in advancing the microelectronic and mechanical tooling industry.

  15. Epitaxial integration of CoFe2O4 thin films on Si (001) surfaces using TiN buffer layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prieto, Pilar; Marco, José F.; Prieto, José E.; Ruiz-Gomez, Sandra; Perez, Lucas; del Real, Rafael P.; Vázquez, Manuel; de la Figuera, Juan

    2018-04-01

    Epitaxial cobalt ferrite thin films with strong in-plane magnetic anisotropy have been grown on Si (001) substrates using a TiN buffer layer. The epitaxial films have been grown by ion beam sputtering using either metallic, CoFe2, or ceramic, CoFe2O4, targets. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rutherford spectrometry (RBS) in random and channeling configuration have been used to determine the epitaxial relationship CoFe2O4 [100]/TiN [100]/Si [100]. Mössbauer spectroscopy, in combination with XRD and RBS, has been used to determine the composition and structure of the cobalt ferrite thin films. The TiN buffer layer induces a compressive strain in the cobalt ferrite thin films giving rise to an in-plane magnetic anisotropy. The degree of in-plane anisotropy depends on the lattice mismatch between CoFe2O4 and TiN, which is larger for CoFe2O4 thin films grown on the reactive sputtering process with ceramic targets.

  16. Solution processing of YBa2Cu3O7-x thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singhal, A.; Paranthaman, M.; Specht, E.D.; Hunt, R.D.; Beach, D.B.; Martin, P.M.; Lee, D.F.

    1997-12-01

    The aim of this work was to develop a non-vacuum chemical deposition technique for YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) coated conductors on rolling-assisted biaxially textured substrates (RABiTS). The authors have chosen the metal-organic decomposition (MOD) and sol-gel precursor routes to grow textured YBCO films. In the MOD process, yttrium 2-ethylhexonate, barium neodecanoate, copper 2-ethylhexonate and toluene were used as the starting reagents. YBCO films processed by the MOD method on SrTiO 3 (100) single crystal substrates were consisted of c and a-axis oriented materials. These films also contained some amount of the random phase. The c and a-axis oriented materials were epitaxial on SrTiO 3 substrates. Films have a T c,onset of 89K and the best superconducting transition temperature of 63K. Films pyrolyzed at 525 C and subsequently annealed at 780 C in a p(O 2 ) of 3.5 x 10 -4 atm contained YBCO phase predominantly in a-axis orientation. In the sol-gel route, yttrium-isopropoxide, barium metal, copper methoxide and 2-methoxyethanol were used as the starting reagents. Sol-gel YBCO films on SrTiO 3 substrates were epitaxial and c-axis oriented

  17. The preparation of Zn-ferrite epitaxial thin film from epitaxial Fe3O4:ZnO multilayers by ion beam sputtering deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su, Hui-Chia; Dai, Jeng-Yi; Liao, Yen-Fa; Wu, Yu-Han; Huang, J.C.A.; Lee, Chih-Hao

    2010-01-01

    A new method to grow a well-ordered epitaxial ZnFe 2 O 4 thin film on Al 2 O 3 (0001) substrate is described in this work. The samples were made by annealing the ZnO/Fe 3 O 4 multilayer which was grown with low energy ion beam sputtering deposition. Both the Fe 3 O 4 and ZnO layers were found grown epitaxially at low temperature and an epitaxial ZnFe 2 O 4 thin film was formed after annealing at 1000 o C. X-ray diffraction shows the ZnFe 2 O 4 film is grown with an orientation of ZnFe 2 O 4 (111)//Al 2 O 3 (0001) and ZnFe 2 O 4 (1-10)//Al 2 O 3 (11-20). X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies show that Zn 2+ atoms replace the tetrahedral Fe 2+ atoms in Fe 3 O 4 during the annealing. The magnetic properties measured by vibrating sample magnetometer show that the saturation magnetization of ZnFe 2 O 4 grown from ZnO/Fe 3 O 4 multilayer reaches the bulk value after the annealing process.

  18. Superconducting properties and microstructure of YBa2Cu3O7-δ/PrBa2Cu3O7-δ superlattices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lowndes, D.H.; Norton, D.P.; Zheng, X.Y.; Zhu, Shen

    1991-10-01

    Epitaxial YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ /PrBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO/PBCO) superlattices are tools for systematic, fundamental studies of high-temperature superconductivity. The variation of T c in YBCO/PBCO superlattices can be understood as arising from changes in the interlayer phase coupling between YBCO layers that are highly two-dimensional when they are very thin (∼1--2 c-axis unit cells) and completely isolated from each other. Single-cell-thick YBCO layers, containing isolated pairs of CuO 2 planes, are found to be superconducting at T c ∼ 20 K, in a PBCO matrix. The resistance in the superconducting transition region scales with temperature as expected for the (flux flow) resistance produced by thermally generated 2D vortices, or for a 2D array of superconducting weak links. Relative to both thin-film and single-crystal HTSc specimens, the thin superconducting layers in YBCO/PBCO superlattices exhibit a greatly expanded temperature range over which characteristic 2D dissipation can be observed, as a consequence of the enhanced anisotropy and reduced dimensionality of the YBCO layers. Scanning tunneling microscope studies reveal that YBCO films and YBCO/PBCO superlattices grow unit cell-by-unit cell by a terraced-island growth mechanism. On miscut, near-(001) substrates the terraces are epitaxially aligned with the substrate crystal lattice and spiral growth structures (screw dislocation-mediated growth) are not seen. These observations explain the steps or ''kinks'' that are seen in cross-section Z-contrast TEM images of YBCO/PBCO superlattices. The kinks may correspond physically to regions where the supercurrent must tunnel along the c- axis, and thus may be weak-link barriers. 31 refs., 7 figs

  19. Magnetron sputtering of Fe-oxides on the top of HTS YBCO films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nurgaliev, T. [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tsarigradsko Chausse, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Blagoev, B. [Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tsarigradsko Chausse, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Laboratory of High Magnetic Fields and Low Temperatures, 95 Gajowicka Str., 53-421 Wroclaw (Poland); Buchkov, K. [Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tsarigradsko Chausse, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Mateev, E. [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tsarigradsko Chausse, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Gajda, G. [Laboratory of High Magnetic Fields and Low Temperatures, 95 Gajowicka Str., 53-421 Wroclaw (Poland); Nedkov, I. [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tsarigradsko Chausse, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Kovacheva, D. [Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Street, bl. 10, 1113 Sofia (Bulgaria); Slavov, L. [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tsarigradsko Chausse, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Laboratory of High Magnetic Fields and Low Temperatures, 95 Gajowicka Str., 53-421 Wroclaw (Poland); Starbova, I.; Starbov, N. [Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tsarigradsko Chausse, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Nankovski, M. [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tsarigradsko Chausse, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Sofia university “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of Physics, 5 James Bourchier Blvd., 1164 Sofia (Bulgaria)

    2017-05-01

    The possibilities for preparation of bilayers containing magnetic Fe-oxide (Fe-O) and high temperature superconducting (HTS) YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−x} (YBCO) thin films were investigated. For this purpose, Fe-O films were deposited using reactive magnetron sputtering at comparatively low temperatures T≤250 °C onto dielectric (for example, LaAlO{sub 3} (LAO)) substrates, covered with a HTS YBCO film. The sputtering of the Fe-O layer at such conditions did not lead to a crucial damage of the critical temperature T{sub C} of the YBCO film, but could affect the width of the superconducting transition. A decrease of the critical temperature of the (Fe-O)/YBCO/LAO bilayer kept at ambient conditions was observed, possibly due to the negative effects of the water vapour on the sample characteristics. The double peak structure of the imaginary component of the response signal to the AC harmonic magnetic field, observed in such a (Fe-O)/YBCO/LAO sample, was ascribed from two possible views: as a consequence of morphology determined inter- and intra-granular contributions and/or as transitions from dominant irreversible processes as Bean-Livingston barrier to vortex state chains formation. - Highlights: • Iron-oxide (Fe-O) film sputtered on the top of superconducting HTS YBCO film at not very high temperatures. • No crucially damaged superconducting properties of YBCO film during Fe-O sputtering process. • A negative effect of the ambient conditions on the critical temperature of the obtained samples. • A double peak structure of the response signal to the AC harmonic magnetic field in a (Fe-O)/YBCO/LAO is observed.

  20. Magnetron sputtering of Fe-oxides on the top of HTS YBCO films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nurgaliev, T.; Blagoev, B.; Buchkov, K.; Mateev, E.; Gajda, G.; Nedkov, I.; Kovacheva, D.; Slavov, L.; Starbova, I.; Starbov, N.; Nankovski, M.

    2017-01-01

    The possibilities for preparation of bilayers containing magnetic Fe-oxide (Fe-O) and high temperature superconducting (HTS) YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−x (YBCO) thin films were investigated. For this purpose, Fe-O films were deposited using reactive magnetron sputtering at comparatively low temperatures T≤250 °C onto dielectric (for example, LaAlO 3 (LAO)) substrates, covered with a HTS YBCO film. The sputtering of the Fe-O layer at such conditions did not lead to a crucial damage of the critical temperature T C of the YBCO film, but could affect the width of the superconducting transition. A decrease of the critical temperature of the (Fe-O)/YBCO/LAO bilayer kept at ambient conditions was observed, possibly due to the negative effects of the water vapour on the sample characteristics. The double peak structure of the imaginary component of the response signal to the AC harmonic magnetic field, observed in such a (Fe-O)/YBCO/LAO sample, was ascribed from two possible views: as a consequence of morphology determined inter- and intra-granular contributions and/or as transitions from dominant irreversible processes as Bean-Livingston barrier to vortex state chains formation. - Highlights: • Iron-oxide (Fe-O) film sputtered on the top of superconducting HTS YBCO film at not very high temperatures. • No crucially damaged superconducting properties of YBCO film during Fe-O sputtering process. • A negative effect of the ambient conditions on the critical temperature of the obtained samples. • A double peak structure of the response signal to the AC harmonic magnetic field in a (Fe-O)/YBCO/LAO is observed.

  1. Microstructure of Co/X (X=Cu,Ag,Au) epitaxial thin films grown on Al2O3(0001) substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohtake, Mitsuru; Akita, Yuta; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

    2007-01-01

    Epitaxial thin films of Co/X (X=Cu,Ag,Au) were prepared on Al 2 O 3 (0001) substrates at substrate temperatures of 100 and 300 degree sign C by UHV molecular beam epitaxy. A complicated microstructure was realized for the epitaxial thin films. In-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction observation has shown that X atoms of the buffer layer segregated to the surface during Co layer deposition, and it yielded a unique epitaxial granular structure. The structure consists of small Co grains buried in the X buffer layer, where both the magnetic small Co grains and the nonmagnetic X layer are epitaxially grown on the single crystal substrate. The structure varied depending on the X element and the substrate temperature. The crystal structure of Co grains is influenced by the buffer layer material and determined to be hcp and fcc structures for the buffer layer materials of Au and Cu, respectively

  2. As-free pnictide LaNi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} thin films grown by reactive molecular beam epitaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Retzlaff, Reiner; Buckow, Alexander; Kurian, Jose; Alff, Lambert [Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Petersenstr. 23, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany)

    2012-07-01

    We use reactive molecular beam epitaxy (RMBE) as synthesis technique for the search of arsenic free pnictide superconductors. Epitaxial thin films of LaNi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} were grown on (100)MgO substrates from elemental sources by simultaneous evaporation of high purity La, Ni and Sb metals by e-gun. The LaNi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} thin films grow epitaxially and are (00l) oriented with high crystalline quality, as evident from RHEED and X-Ray diffraction studies. The Ni deficient LaNi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} thin films show metallic behavior with a room temperature resistivity of 110 {mu}{Omega} cm, while the stoichiometric compound is a semiconductor/insulator. The isostructural compound with Bi as pnictide shows a superconducting transition with a T{sub C}(0) of 3.1 K.

  3. Synchrotron X-ray studies of epitaxial ferroelectric thin films and nanostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klug, Jeffrey A.

    The study of ferroelectric thin films is a field of considerable scientific and technological interest. In this dissertation synchrotron x-ray techniques were applied to examine the effects of lateral confinement and epitaxial strain in ferroelectric thin films and nanostructures. Three materials systems were investigated: laterally confined epitaxial BiFeO3 nanostructures on SrTiO3 (001), ultra-thin commensurate SrTiO 3 films on Si (001), and coherently strained films of BaTiO3 on DyScO3 (110). Epitaxial films of BiFeO3 were deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on SrRuO3 coated SrTiO 3 (001) substrates. Laterally confined nanostructures were fabricated using focused ion-beam processing and subsequently characterized with focused beam x-ray nanodiffraction measurements with unprecedented spatial resolution. Results from a series of rectangular nanostructures with lateral dimensions between 500 nm and 1 mum and a comparably-sized region of the unpatterned BiFeO3 film revealed qualitatively similar distributions of local strain and lattice rotation with a 2-3 times larger magnitude of variation observed in those of the nanostructures compared to the unpatterned film. This indicates that lateral confinement leads to enhanced variation in the local strain and lattice rotation fields in epitaxial BiFeO3 nanostructures. A commensurate 2 nm thick film of SrTiO3 on Si was characterized by the x-ray standing wave (XSW) technique to determine the Sr and Ti cation positions in the strained unit cell in order to verify strain-induced ferroelectricity in SrTiO3/Si. A Si (004) XSW measurement at 10°C indicated that the average Ti displacement from the midpoint between Sr planes was consistent in magnitude to that predicted by a density functional theory (DFT) calculated ferroelectric structure. The Ti displacement determined from a 35°C measurement better matched a DFT-predicted nonpolar structure. The thin film extension of the XSW technique was employed to

  4. Epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7 on biaxially textured (001) Ni: An approach to high critical current density superconducting tapes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norton, D.P.; Goyal, A.; Budai, J.D.

    1997-01-01

    In-plane aligned, c-axis oriented YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) films with superconducting critical current densities, J c , as high as 700,000 amperes per square centimeter at 77 kelvin have been grown on thermo-mechanically, rolled-textured (001) Ni tapes using pulsed-laser deposition. Epitaxial growth of oxide buffer layers directly on biaxially textured Ni, formed by recrystallization of cold-rolled pure Ni, enables the growth of 1.5 micrometer-thick YBCO films with superconducting properties that are comparable to those observed for epitaxial films on single crystal oxide substrates. This result represents a viable approach for producing long-length superconducting tapes for high current, high field applications at 77 kelvin

  5. High-rate deposition of epitaxial layers for efficient low-temperature thin film epitaxial silicon solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oberbeck, L.; Schmidt, J.; Wagner, T.A.; Bergmann, R.B. [Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). Inst. of Physical Electronics

    2001-07-01

    Low-temperature deposition of Si for thin-film solar cells has previously been hampered by low deposition rates and low material quality, usually reflected by a low open-circuit voltage of these solar cells. In contrast, ion-assisted deposition produces Si films with a minority-carrier diffusion length of 40 {mu}m, obtained at a record deposition rate of 0.8 {mu}m/min and a deposition temperature of 650{sup o}C with a prebake at 810{sup o}C. A thin-film Si solar cell with a 20-{mu}m-thick epitaxial layer achieves an open-circuit voltage of 622 mV and a conversion efficiency of 12.7% without any light trapping structures and without high-temperature solar cell process steps. (author)

  6. AFM studies on heavy ion irradiated YBCO single crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lakhani, Archana; Marhas, M.K.; Saravanan, P.; Ganesan, V.; Srinivasan, R.; Kanjilal, D.; Mehta, G.K.; Elizabeth, Suja; Bhat, H.L.

    2000-01-01

    Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is extensively used to characterise the surface morphology of high energy ion irradiated single crystals of high temperature superconductor - YBCO. Our earlier systematic studies on thin films of YBCO under high energy and heavy ion irradiation shows clear evidence of ion induced sputtering or erosion, even though the effect is more on the grain boundaries. These earlier results were supported by electrical resistance measurements. In order to understand more clearly, the nature of surface modification at these high energies, AFM studies were carried out on single crystals of YBCO. Single crystals were chosen in order to see the effect on crystallites alone without interference from grain boundaries. 200 MeV gold ions were used for investigation using the facilities available at Nuclear Science Centre, New Delhi. The type of ion and the range of energies were chosen to meet the threshold for electronically mediated defect production. The results are in conformity with our earlier studies and will be described in detail in the context of electronic energy loss mediated sputtering or erosion. (author)

  7. Epitaxial growth and superconducting properties of YBa23Cu3O7 thin films and YBa2Cu3O7/Dy(Pr)Ba2Cu3O7 superlattices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Triscone, J.M.; Brunner, O.; Antognazza, L.; Kent, A.D.; Fischer, O.; Karkut, M.G.

    1990-01-01

    The authors have prepared in situ REBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (REBCO) (RE = Y, Pr, Dy) thin films and YBCO/Dy(Pr)BCO superlattices by single target dc planar magnetron sputtering. YBCO/DyBCO superlattices have been realized with modulation wavelength as short as 24 Angstrom, i.e., a unit cell of YBCO alternates with a unit cell of DyBCO, on average. The superconducting properties of such superlattices are indistinguishable from those of single layers. T co 's (zero resistance) are between 85 and 89K, and the residual resistivity ratios are between 2.5 and 3. In contrast to these results, when YBCO is layered with PrBCO, which is insulating, a dramatic change in the superconducting properties is observed. The authors have been able to artificially vary the coupling between single 12 Angstrom unit cell of YBCO by interposing insulating planes of PrBCO. As the YBCO layer separation increases, T c is reduced and the transition broadens showing evidence of 2-D superconducting fluctuations

  8. Epitaxial properties of ZnO thin films on SrTiO3 substrates grown by laser molecular beam epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, X. H.; Li, Y. R.; Zhu, J.; Huang, W.; Zhang, Y.; Luo, W. B.; Ji, H.

    2007-01-01

    Epitaxial ZnO thin films with different orientations have been grown by laser molecular beam epitaxy on (001)- (011)-, and (111)-orientated SrTiO 3 single-crystal substrates. The growth behavior was in situ monitored by reflection high-energy electron diffraction, and the epitaxial orientation relations were reconfirmed by ex situ x-ray diffraction measurements. In the case of ZnO on SrTiO 3 (001), four orthogonal domains coexisted in the ZnO epilayer, i.e., ZnO(110) parallel SrTiO 3 (001) and ZnO[-111] parallel SrTiO 3 . For (011)- and (111)-orientated substrates, single-domain epitaxy with c axial orientation was observed, in which the in-plane relationship was ZnO[110] parallel SrTiO 3 [110] irrespective of the substrate orientations. Additionally, the crystalline quality of ZnO on SrTiO 3 (111) was better than that of ZnO on SrTiO 3 (011) because of the same symmetry between the (111) substrates and (001) films. The obtained results can be attributed to the difference of the in-plane crystallographic symmetry. Furthermore, those alignments can be explained by the interface stress between the substrates and the films

  9. Epitaxial Fe16N2 thin film on nonmagnetic seed layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hang, Xudong; Zhang, Xiaowei; Ma, Bin; Lauter, Valeria; Wang, Jian-Ping

    2018-05-01

    Metastable α″ -Fe16N2 has attracted much interest as a candidate for rare-earth-free hard magnetic materials. We demonstrate that Fe16N2 thin films were grown epitaxially on Cr seed layers with MgO (001) substrates by facing-target sputtering. Good crystallinity with the epitaxial relation MgO (001 )[110 ] ∥ Cr (001 )[100 ] ∥ Fe16N2 (001 )[100 ] was obtained. The chemical order parameter, which quantifies the degree of N ordering in the Fe16N2 (the N-disordered phase is α' -Fe8N martensite), reaches 0.75 for Cr-seeded samples. Cr has a perfect lattice constant match with Fe16N2, and no noticeable strain can be assigned to Fe16N2. The intrinsic saturation magnetization of this non-strained Fe16N2 thin film at room temperature is determined to be 2.31 T by polarized neutron reflectometry and confirmed with vibrating sample magnetometry. Our work provides a platform to directly study the magnetic properties of high purity Fe16N2 films with a high order parameter.

  10. Metallic transport and large anomalous Hall effect at room temperature in ferrimagnetic Mn4N epitaxial thin film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen, Xi; Shigematsu, Kei; Chikamatsu, Akira; Fukumura, Tomoteru; Hirose, Yasushi; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

    2014-01-01

    We report the electrical transport properties of ferrimagnetic Mn 4 N (001) epitaxial thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition on MgO (001) substrates. The Mn 4 N thin films were tetragonally distorted with a ratio of out-of-plane to in-plane lattice constants of 0.987 and showed perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with an effective magnetic anisotropy constant of 0.16 MJ/m 3 , which is comparable with that of a recently reported molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown film. The thin films exhibited metallic transport with a room temperature resistivity of 125 μΩ cm in addition to a large anomalous Hall effect with a Hall angle tangent of 0.023.

  11. Epitaxial growth of "infinite layer” thin films and multilayers by rf magnetron sputtering

    OpenAIRE

    Fàbrega, L.; Koller, E.; Triscone, J. M.; Fischer, Ø.

    2017-01-01

    We report on the preparation and characterization of epitaxial ACuO2 (A = Sr, Ca, Ba) thin films and multilayers with the so- called infinite layer (IL) structure, by rf magnetron sputtering. Films and multilayers without Ba have a remarkable crystal quality, whereas those containing this large ion are often multiphased and unstable. In spite of the excellent crystalline quality of these samples, obtaining thin films having both IL structure and displaying superconducting properties has not s...

  12. Deposition of Y-Sm Oxide on Metallic Substrates for the YBCO Coated Conductor by MOCVD Method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Jun Kyu; Kim, Min Woo; Jun, Byung Hyuk; Kim, Chan Joong; Lee, Hee Gyoun; Hong, Gye Won

    2005-01-01

    Complex single buffer composed of yttrium and samarium oxide was deposited on the metallic substrates by MOCVD (metal organic chemical vapor deposition) method using single liquid source. Two different types of the substrates with in-plane textures of about 8 - 10 degree of Ni and 3at.%W-Ni alloy were used. Y(tmhd: 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptane dionate) 3 :Sm(tmhd) 3 of liquid source was adjusted to 0.4:0.6 to minimize the lattice mismatch between the complex single buffer and the YBCO. The epitaxial growth of (Y x Sm 1-x ) 2 O 3 was achieved at the temperature higher than 500 degree C in O 2 atmosphere. However, it was found that the formation of NiO accelerated with increasing deposition temperature. By supplying H 2 O vapor, this oxidation of the substrate could be suppressed throughout the deposition temperatures. We could get the epitaxial growth on pure Ni substrate without the formation of NiO. The competitive (222) and (400) growths were observed at the deposition temperatures of 650 - 750 degree C, but the (400) growth became dominant above 800 degree. The (Y x Sm 1-x ) 2 O 3 -buffered metallic substrates can be used as the buffer for YBCO coated conductor.

  13. Influence of interface reactions on the YBCO films grown by fluorine-free solution route

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhao, Yue; Wu, Wei; Tang, Xiao

    2015-01-01

    Fabrication of full-stacked coated conductors by all-chemical-solution routes exhibit a great potential in view of further reducing the cost and increasing the throughput for industrialization. Growth of YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) superconducting films by fluorine-free metal organic deposition routes (FF......-MOD) which are environmental friendly has attracted more attentions recently. In this work, comparison study was performed on the YBCO-Ag superconducting thin films deposited on two types of single crystal substrates, LaAlO3 and Ce0.9La0.9O2−y/YSZ. The structural characterization and superconducting...... properties studies reveal that the interface reactions between the YBCO-Ag film and the CLO cap layer play an essential role on the nucleation and growth of YBCO-Ag films from the FF solution. Weak texture caused by serious interface reactions at high growth temperature is the main explanations for the poor...

  14. Transport ac loss studies of YBCO coated conductors with nickel alloy substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duckworth, R C; Thompson, J R; Gouge, M J; Lue, J W; Ijaduola, A O; Yu, D; Verebelyi, D T

    2003-01-01

    Transport alternating current (ac) loss measurements were performed on a series of rolling-assisted biaxially textured substrate (RABiTS) processed YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (YBCO) coated conductors at 77 K. While each sample possessed a 1 μm layer of YBCO and a 3 μm silver cap layer, two different nickel alloy substrates were used and their impact on the ac loss was examined. Both substrates possessed a 75 μm Ni-5 at%W base, but one substrate also had a 2 μm nickel overlayer as part of the buffer layer architecture. The ac losses, which were determined by thermal and electrical measurements, contained two dominant contributions: superconductive hysteresis in the YBCO and ferromagnetic hysteresis in the substrates. The superconductive component followed the Norris elliptic model for the substrate with the nickel overlayer and the Norris thin strip model for the substrate without the nickel overlayer. The substrates' ferromagnetic loss was determined separately through magnetization measurements, which showed that this loss contribution was independent of the presence of the nickel overlayer for effective ac currents less than 50 A. While the overall loss was lower for the thin-strip-like conductor with no nickel overlayer, further research is necessary to strengthen this connection

  15. Finite-element analysis and comparison of the AC loss performance of BSCCO and YBCO conductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stavrev, Svetlomir; Grilli, Francesco; Dutoit, Bertrand; Ashworth, Stephen

    2006-01-01

    The AC loss performance of two BSCCO and two YBCO conductors of different geometry, characterized by the same self-field critical current of 150 A, is analysed and compared quantitatively. The comparison is made using the finite-element method with a nonlinear B-dependent E-J relation. A new shell-region model is utilised for the simulations of thin YBCO strips. Different AC working conditions are simulated: self-field, applied external field, and combined transport current and external perpendicular field application. Magnetic field and current density profiles are investigated in order to illustrate the reasons for the loss difference in the conductors. Depending on the application, the advantages of using BSCCO or YBCO conductors with specific geometry are outlined

  16. Epitaxial thin film growth of LiH using a liquid-Li atomic template

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oguchi, Hiroyuki; Ikeshoji, Tamio; Orimo, Shin-ichi; Ohsawa, Takeo; Shiraki, Susumu; Hitosugi, Taro; Kuwano, Hiroki

    2014-01-01

    We report on the synthesis of lithium hydride (LiH) epitaxial thin films through the hydrogenation of a Li melt, forming abrupt LiH/MgO interface. Experimental and first-principles molecular dynamics studies reveal a comprehensive microscopic picture of the crystallization processes, which sheds light on the fundamental atomistic growth processes that have remained unknown in the vapor-liquid-solid method. We found that the periodic structure that formed, because of the liquid-Li atoms at the film/MgO-substrate interface, serves as an atomic template for the epitaxial growth of LiH crystals. In contrast, films grown on the Al 2 O 3 substrates indicated polycrystalline films with a LiAlO 2 secondary phase. These results and the proposed growth process provide insights into the preparation of other alkaline metal hydride thin films on oxides. Further, our investigations open the way to explore fundamental physics and chemistry of metal hydrides including possible phenomena that emerge at the heterointerfaces of metal hydrides

  17. Preparation and structure characterization of SmCo5(0001) epitaxial thin films grown on Cu(111) underlayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohtake, Mitsuru; Nukaga, Yuri; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

    2009-01-01

    SmCo 5 (0001) epitaxial films were prepared on Cu(111) single-crystal underlayers formed on Al 2 O 3 (0001) substrates at 500 deg. C. The nucleation and growth mechanism of (0001)-oriented SmCo 5 crystal on Cu(111) underlayer is investigated and a method to control the nucleation is proposed. The SmCo 5 epitaxial thin film formed directly on Cu underlayer consists of two types of domains whose orientations are rotated around the film normal by 30 deg. each other. By introducing a thin Co seed layer on the Cu underlayer, a SmCo 5 (0001) single-crystal thin film is successfully obtained. Nucleation of SmCo 5 crystal on Cu underlayer seems controllable by varying the interaction between the Cu underlayer and the SmCo 5 layer

  18. From epitaxial growth of ferrite thin films to spin-polarized tunnelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moussy, Jean-Baptiste

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents a review of the research which is focused on ferrite thin films for spintronics. First, I will describe the potential of ferrite layers for the generation of spin-polarized currents. In the second step, the structural and chemical properties of epitaxial thin films and ferrite-based tunnel junctions will be presented. Particular attention will be given to ferrite systems grown by oxygen-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The analysis of the structure and chemistry close to the interfaces, a key-point for understanding the spin-polarized tunnelling measurements, will be detailed. In the third part, the magnetic and magneto-transport properties of magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) thin films as a function of structural defects such as the antiphase boundaries will be explained. The spin-polarization measurements (spin-resolved photoemission, tunnel magnetoresistance) on this oxide predicted to be half-metallic will be discussed. Fourth, the potential of magnetic tunnel barriers, such as CoFe 2 O 4 , NiFe 2 O 4 or MnFe 2 O 4 , whose insulating behaviour and the high Curie temperatures make it exciting candidates for spin filtering at room temperature will be described. Spin-polarized tunnelling experiments, involving either Meservey–Tedrow or tunnel magnetoresistance measurements, will reveal significant spin-polarizations of the tunnelling current at low temperatures but also at room temperatures. Finally, I will mention a few perspectives with ferrite-based heterostructures. (topical review)

  19. Low energy electron beam processing of YBCO thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chromik, Š., E-mail: stefan.chromik@savba.sk [Institute of Electrical Engineering, SAS, Dúbravská cesta 9, 841 04 Bratislava (Slovakia); Camerlingo, C. [CNR-SPIN, Istituto Superconduttori, Materiali Innovativi e Dispositivi, via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli (Italy); Sojková, M.; Štrbík, V.; Talacko, M. [Institute of Electrical Engineering, SAS, Dúbravská cesta 9, 841 04 Bratislava (Slovakia); Malka, I.; Bar, I.; Bareli, G. [Department of Physics, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, 84105 Beer Sheva (Israel); Jung, G. [Department of Physics, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, 84105 Beer Sheva (Israel); Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotników 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw (Poland)

    2017-02-15

    Highlights: • Improvement of superconducting properties of irradiated bridges under certain conditions. • 30 keV irradiation influence CuO{sub 2} planes as well as oxygen chains. • Direct confirmation of changes in oxygen chains using micro-Raman spectroscopy. • Possibility of electron writing. - Abstract: Effects of low energy 30 keV electron irradiation of superconducting YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−δ} thin films have been investigated by means of transport and micro-Raman spectroscopy measurements. The critical temperature and the critical current of 200 nm thick films initially increase with increasing fluency of the electron irradiation, reach the maximum at fluency 3 − 4 × 10{sup 20} electrons/cm{sup 2}, and then decrease with further fluency increase. In much thinner films (75 nm), the critical temperature increases while the critical current decreases after low energy electron irradiation with fluencies below 10{sup 20} electrons/cm{sup 2}. The Raman investigations suggest that critical temperature increase in irradiated films is due to healing of broken Cu−O chains that results in increased carrier’s concentration in superconducting CuO{sub 2} planes. Changes in the critical current are controlled by changes in the density of oxygen vacancies acting as effective pinning centers for flux vortices. The effects of low energy electron irradiation of YBCO turned out to result from a subtle balance of many processes involving oxygen removal, both by thermal activation and kick-off processes, and ordering of chains environment by incident electrons.

  20. Single-domain epitaxial silicene on diboride thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fleurence, A., E-mail: antoine@jaist.ac.jp; Friedlein, R.; Aoyagi, K.; Yamada-Takamura, Y. [School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292 (Japan); Gill, T. G. [School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292 (Japan); London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London (UCL), London WC1H 0AH (United Kingdom); Department of Chemistry, UCL, London WC1H 0AJ (United Kingdom); Sadowski, J. T. [Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973 (United States); Copel, M.; Tromp, R. M. [IBM Research Division, Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States); Hirjibehedin, C. F. [London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London (UCL), London WC1H 0AH (United Kingdom); Department of Chemistry, UCL, London WC1H 0AJ (United Kingdom); Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCL, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom)

    2016-04-11

    Epitaxial silicene, which forms spontaneously on ZrB{sub 2}(0001) thin films grown on Si(111) wafers, has a periodic stripe domain structure. By adsorbing additional Si atoms on this surface, we find that the domain boundaries vanish, and a single-domain silicene sheet can be prepared without altering its buckled honeycomb structure. The amount of Si required to induce this change suggests that the domain boundaries are made of a local distortion of the silicene honeycomb lattice. The realization of a single domain sheet with structural and electronic properties close to those of the original striped state demonstrates the high structural flexibility of silicene.

  1. Superconducting thin films of YBa2Cu3O7-x

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hudner, J.

    1993-01-01

    Thin films of the high temperature superconductor YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) are of significance in fundamental studies of oxide superconductors and for prospected electronic applications based on superconductors operating at liquid nitrogen temperatures (T= 77 K). Synthesis of YBCO thin films is complex and a large part of this thesis has been devoted to the elaboration of various techniques in forming YBCO thin films. A general observation was that synthesis of YBCO films exhibiting high zero-resistivity temperatures temperatures (T c ) ≥ 88 K and elevated critical current densities (J c ) ≥ 10 6 A/cm 2 at 77 K was possible under widely different conditions of film growth. For the BaF 2 -based method, various substrate materials were investigated. Among perovskite related substrates with low losses in the high frequency regime, LaA10 3 was found to yield YBCO films exhibiting the highest quality electrical properties. A study of YBCO film interaction with sapphire substrates was performed. It was suggested that the YBCO film on sapphire consists of weakly coupled superconducting grains. Compositional effects of Y, BA and Cu for MOCVD-YBCO films were examined with respect to morphology, structure, resistivity, as susceptibility and J c (T). High T c :s and J c :s were observed for an anomalous large compositional range of Cu in off-compositional YBCO films. This was shown to be related to the formation of Cu-rich precipitates embedded within a c-Axis oriented stoichiometric YBCO film matrix. Thermal critical current behavior at zero field in thin films of YBCO fabricated by various methods has been studied by three techniques: transport measurements on patterned microbridges, dc magnetization hysteresis loops using the Bean model and non-linear ac susceptibility analysis. Absolute critical current values obtained form the two former techniques when measured on the same YBCO film were observed to differ about a factor of two. The feasibility of non-linear ac

  2. Structural characterization of epitaxial LiFe_5O_8 thin films grown by chemical vapor deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loukya, B.; Negi, D.S.; Sahu, R.; Pachauri, N.; Gupta, A.; Datta, R.

    2016-01-01

    We report on detailed microstructural and atomic ordering characterization by transmission electron microscopy in epitaxial LiFe_5O_8 (LFO) thin films grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on MgO (001) substrates. The experimental results of LFO thin films are compared with those for bulk LFO single crystal. Electron diffraction studies indicate weak long-range ordering in LFO (α-phase) thin films in comparison to bulk crystal where strong ordering is observed in optimally annealed samples. The degree of long-range ordering depends on the growth conditions and the thickness of the film. Annealing experiment along with diffraction study confirms the formation of α-Fe_2O_3 phase in some regions of the films. This suggests that under certain growth conditions γ-Fe_2O_3-like phase forms in some pockets in the as-grown LFO thin films that then convert to α-Fe_2O_3 on annealing. - Highlights: • Atomic ordering in LiFe_5O_8 bulk single crystal and epitaxial thin films. • Electron diffraction studies reveal different level of ordering in the system. • Formation of γ-Fe_2O_3 like phase has been observed.

  3. Determination of the Young's modulus of pulsed laser deposited epitaxial PZT thin films

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nazeer, H.; Nguyen, Duc Minh; Woldering, L.A.; Abelmann, Leon; Rijnders, Augustinus J.H.M.; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt

    2011-01-01

    We determined the Young’s modulus of pulsed laser deposited epitaxially grown PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) thin films on microcantilevers by measuring the difference in cantilever resonance frequency before and after deposition. By carefully optimizing the accuracy of this technique, we were able to show

  4. Ion Beam Assisted Deposition of Thin Epitaxial GaN Films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rauschenbach, Bernd; Lotnyk, Andriy; Neumann, Lena; Poppitz, David; Gerlach, Jürgen W

    2017-06-23

    The assistance of thin film deposition with low-energy ion bombardment influences their final properties significantly. Especially, the application of so-called hyperthermal ions (energy GaN thin films on (0001)-oriented 6H-SiC substrates at 700 °C. The films are studied in situ by reflection high energy electron diffraction, ex situ by X-ray diffraction, scanning tunnelling microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It is demonstrated that the film growth mode can be controlled by varying the ion to atom ratio, where 2D films are characterized by a smooth topography, a high crystalline quality, low biaxial stress, and low defect density. Typical structural defects in the GaN thin films were identified as basal plane stacking faults, low-angle grain boundaries forming between w-GaN and z-GaN and twin boundaries. The misfit strain between the GaN thin films and substrates is relieved by the generation of edge dislocations in the first and second monolayers of GaN thin films and of misfit interfacial dislocations. It can be demonstrated that the low-energy nitrogen ion assisted molecular beam epitaxy is a technique to produce thin GaN films of high crystalline quality.

  5. Catalytic Activity Enhancement for Oxygen Reduction on Epitaxial Perovskite Thin Films for Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells

    KAUST Repository

    la O', Gerardo Jose; Ahn, Sung-Jin; Crumlin, Ethan; Orikasa, Yuki; Biegalski, Michael D.; Christen, Hans M.; Shao-Horn, Yang

    2010-01-01

    Figure Presented The active ingredient: La0.8Sr 0.2CoO3-δ (LSC) epitaxial thin films are prepared on (001 )-oriented yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) single crystals with a gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) buffer layer (see picture). The LSC epitaxial films exhibit better oxygen reduction kinetics than bulk LSC. The enhanced activity is attributed in part to higher oxygen nonstoichiometry. © 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KCaA, Weinheim.

  6. Catalytic Activity Enhancement for Oxygen Reduction on Epitaxial Perovskite Thin Films for Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells

    KAUST Repository

    la O', Gerardo Jose

    2010-06-22

    Figure Presented The active ingredient: La0.8Sr 0.2CoO3-δ (LSC) epitaxial thin films are prepared on (001 )-oriented yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) single crystals with a gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) buffer layer (see picture). The LSC epitaxial films exhibit better oxygen reduction kinetics than bulk LSC. The enhanced activity is attributed in part to higher oxygen nonstoichiometry. © 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KCaA, Weinheim.

  7. Buffer-layer enhanced crystal growth of BaB6 (1 0 0) thin films on MgO (1 0 0) substrates by laser molecular beam epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kato, Yushi; Yamauchi, Ryosuke; Arai, Hideki; Tan, Geng; Tsuchimine, Nobuo; Kobayashi, Susumu; Saeki, Kazuhiko; Takezawa, Nobutaka; Mitsuhashi, Masahiko; Kaneko, Satoru; Yoshimoto, Mamoru

    2012-01-01

    Crystalline BaB 6 (1 0 0) thin films can be fabricated on MgO (1 0 0) substrates by inserting a 2-3 nm-thick epitaxial SrB 6 (1 0 0) buffer layer by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) in ultra-high vacuum (i.e., laser molecular beam epitaxy). Reflection high-energy electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction measurements indicated the heteroepitaxial structure of BaB 6 (1 0 0)/SrB 6 (1 0 0)/MgO (1 0 0) with the single domain of the epitaxial relationship. Conversely, BaB 6 thin films without the buffer layer were not epitaxial instead they developed as polycrystalline films with a random in-plane configuration and some impurity phases. As a result, the buffer layer is considered to greatly affect the initial growth of epitaxial BaB 6 thin films; therefore, in this study, buffering effects have been discussed. From the conventional four-probe measurement, it was observed that BaB 6 epitaxial thin films exhibit n-type semiconducting behavior with a resistivity of 2.90 × 10 -1 Ω cm at room temperature.

  8. Reversal of lattice, electronic structure, and magnetism in epitaxial SrCoOx thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeen, H.; Choi, W. S.; Lee, J. H.; Cooper, V. R.; Lee, H. N.; Seo, S. S. A.; Rabe, K. M.

    2014-03-01

    SrCoOx (x = 2.5 - 3.0, SCO) is an ideal material to study the role of oxygen content for electronic structure and magnetism, since SCO has two distinct topotactic phases: the antiferromagnetic insulating brownmillerite SrCoO2.5 and the ferromagnetic metallic perovskite SrCoO3. In this presentation, we report direct observation of a reversible lattice and electronic structure evolution in SrCoOx epitaxial thin films as well as different magnetic and electronic ground states between the topotactic phases.[2] By magnetization measurements, optical absorption, and transport measurements drastically different electronic and magnetic ground states are found in the epitaxially grown SrCoO2.5 and SrCoO3 thin films by pulsed laser epitaxy. First-principles calculations confirm substantial, which originate from the modification in the Co valence states and crystallographic structures. By real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry, the two electronically and magnetically different phases can be reversibly changed by changing the ambient pressure at greatly reduced temperatures. Our finding provides an important pathway to understanding the novel oxygen-content-dependent phase transition uniquely found in multivalent transition metal oxides. The work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division.

  9. Metallic transport and large anomalous Hall effect at room temperature in ferrimagnetic Mn{sub 4}N epitaxial thin film

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shen, Xi; Shigematsu, Kei [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Chikamatsu, Akira, E-mail: chikamatsu@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Fukumura, Tomoteru [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Hirose, Yasushi; Hasegawa, Tetsuya [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan)

    2014-08-18

    We report the electrical transport properties of ferrimagnetic Mn{sub 4}N (001) epitaxial thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition on MgO (001) substrates. The Mn{sub 4}N thin films were tetragonally distorted with a ratio of out-of-plane to in-plane lattice constants of 0.987 and showed perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with an effective magnetic anisotropy constant of 0.16 MJ/m{sup 3}, which is comparable with that of a recently reported molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown film. The thin films exhibited metallic transport with a room temperature resistivity of 125 μΩ cm in addition to a large anomalous Hall effect with a Hall angle tangent of 0.023.

  10. Development of thin pixel detectors on epitaxial silicon for HEP experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boscardin, Maurizio; Calvo, Daniela; Giacomini, Gabriele; Wheadon, Richard; Ronchin, Sabina; Zorzi, Nicola

    2013-01-01

    The foreseen luminosity of the new experiments in High Energy Physics will require that the innermost layer of vertex detectors will be able to sustain fluencies up to 10 16 n eq /cm 2 . Moreover, in many experiments there is a demand for the minimization of the material budget of the detectors. Therefore, thin pixel devices fabricated on n-type silicon are a natural choice to fulfill these requirements due to their rad-hard performances and low active volume. We present an R and D activity aimed at developing a new thin hybrid pixel device in the framework of PANDA experiments. The detector of this new device is a p-on-n pixel sensor realized starting from epitaxial silicon wafers and back thinned up to 50–100 μm after process completion. We present the main technological steps and some electrical characterization on the fabricated devices before and after back thinning and after bump bonding to the front-end electronics

  11. Development of thin pixel detectors on epitaxial silicon for HEP experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boscardin, Maurizio, E-mail: boscardi@fbk.eu [FBK, CMM, Via Sommarive 18, I-38123 Povo, Trento (Italy); Calvo, Daniela [INFN and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria, I-10125 Torino (Italy); Giacomini, Gabriele [FBK, CMM, Via Sommarive 18, I-38123 Povo, Trento (Italy); Wheadon, Richard [INFN and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria, I-10125 Torino (Italy); Ronchin, Sabina; Zorzi, Nicola [FBK, CMM, Via Sommarive 18, I-38123 Povo, Trento (Italy)

    2013-08-01

    The foreseen luminosity of the new experiments in High Energy Physics will require that the innermost layer of vertex detectors will be able to sustain fluencies up to 10{sup 16} n{sub eq}/cm{sup 2}. Moreover, in many experiments there is a demand for the minimization of the material budget of the detectors. Therefore, thin pixel devices fabricated on n-type silicon are a natural choice to fulfill these requirements due to their rad-hard performances and low active volume. We present an R and D activity aimed at developing a new thin hybrid pixel device in the framework of PANDA experiments. The detector of this new device is a p-on-n pixel sensor realized starting from epitaxial silicon wafers and back thinned up to 50–100 μm after process completion. We present the main technological steps and some electrical characterization on the fabricated devices before and after back thinning and after bump bonding to the front-end electronics.

  12. Remarkable weakness against cleavage stress for YBCO-coated conductors and its effect on the YBCO coil performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yanagisawa, Y.; Nakagome, H.; Takematsu, T.; Takao, T.; Sato, N.; Takahashi, M.; Maeda, H.

    2011-01-01

    Cleavage strength for YBCO-coated conductor is extremely low, typically 0.5 MPa. The remarkable weakness is due to cracks on the slit edge of the conductor. The cleavage stress appears on YBCO double pancake coils impregnated with epoxy. The cleavage stress should be avoided in the coil winding. Cleavage strength for an YBCO-coated conductor at 77 K was investigated with a model experiment. The nominal cleavage strength for an YBCO-coated conductor is extremely low, typically 0.5 MPa. This low nominal cleavage strength is due to stress concentration on a small part of the YBCO-coated conductor in cleavage fracture. Debonding by the cleavage stress occurs at the interface between the buffer layer and the Hastelloy substrate. The nominal cleavage strength for a slit edge of the conductor is 2.5-times lower than that for the original edge of the conductor; cracks and micro-peel existing over the slit edge reduce the cleavage strength for the slit edge. Cleavage stress and peel stress should be avoided in coil winding, as they easily delaminate the YBCO-coated conductor, resulting in substantial degradation of coil performance. These problems are especially important for epoxy impregnated YBCO-coated conductor coils. It appears that effect of cleavage stress and peel stress are mostly negligible for paraffin impregnated YBCO-coated conductor coils or dry wound YBCO-coated conductor coils.

  13. Laser energy tuning of carrier effective mass and thermopower in epitaxial oxide thin films

    KAUST Repository

    Abutaha, Anas I.; Sarath Kumar, S. R.; Alshareef, Husam N.

    2012-01-01

    The effect of the laser fluence on high temperature thermoelectric properties of the La doped SrTiO3 (SLTO) thin films epitaxially grown on LaAlO3 〈100〉 substrates by pulsed laser deposition is clarified. It is shown that oxygen vacancies

  14. Oxygen engineering of HfO{sub 2-x} thin films grown by reactive molecular beam epitaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hildebrandt, Erwin; Kurian, Jose; Alff, Lambert [Institut fuer Materialwissenschaft, TU-Darmstadt (Germany); Zaumseil, Peter; Schroeder, Thomas [IHP, Frankfurt, Oder (Germany)

    2010-07-01

    Reactive molecular beam epitaxy (R-MBE) is an ideal tool for tailoring physical properties of thin films to specific needs. For the development of cutting-edge oxides for thin film applications a precise control of oxygen defects is crucial. R-MBE in combination with rf-activated oxygen allows reproducibly growing oxide thin films with precise oxidation conditions enabling oxygen engineering. R-MBE was used to grow Hf and HfO{sub 2{+-}}{sub x} thin films with different oxidation conditions on sapphire single crystal substrates. Structural characterization was carried out using rotating anode x-ray diffraction revealing highly textured to epitaxial thin films on c-cut sapphire. Furthermore, switching of film orientation by varying the oxidation conditions was observed demonstrating the role of oxygen in the growth procedure. The investigation of electrical properties using a four probe measurement setup showed conductivities in the range of 1000 {mu}{omega}cm for oxygen deficient HfO{sub 2-x} thin films. Optical properties were investigated using a photospectrometer and additionally x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was carried out to study the band gap and valence states. Both techniques were used to monitor the oxygen content in deficient HfO{sub 2-x} thin films. Our results demonstrate the importance of oxygen engineering even in the case of 'simple' oxides.

  15. Epitaxial growth of cubic Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films on Ge substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Molle, A; Wiemer, C; Bhuiyan, M D N K; Tallarida, G; Fanciulli, M [CNR-INFM, Laboratorio Nazionale MDM, via C. Olivetti 2, I-20041 Agrate Brianza (Italy)], E-mail: alessandro.molle@mdm.infm.it

    2008-03-15

    Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films were grown on Ge (001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The epitaxial character of the film is demonstrated by electron diffraction during the growth. The structural characterization of the films shows that the Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} forms a bixbyite polymorph with a (110) out-of-plane orientation. The formation of bixbyite structured Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} is discussed in terms of the atomic arrangement of the oxide planes on the Ge(001) surface.

  16. Molecular beam epitaxy growth of InSb1−xBix thin films

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Song, Yuxin; Wang, Shumin; Saha Roy, Ivy

    2013-01-01

    Molecular beam epitaxy growth for InSb1−xBix thin films on (100) GaAs substrates is reported. Successful Bi incorporation for 2% is achieved, and up to 70% of the incorporated Bi atoms are at substitutional sites. The effects of growth parameters on Bi incorporation and surface morphology are stu...

  17. Point defects in MnSi and YBCO studied by Doppler Broadening Spectroscopy using a positron beam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reiner, Markus

    2015-10-28

    The positron beam NEPOMUC was used in order to investigate MnSi and YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-δ} (YBCO) single crystals. The Doppler broadening of the annihilation radiation of electron-positron pairs was analyzed. Thus, the concentration of Mn vacancies in MnSi crystals was determined. In thin YBCO films, the Doppler broadening is correlated with the oxygen deficiency δ. Its spatial distribution and its high-temperature behavior were studied using positrons.

  18. Epitaxially influenced boundary layer model for size effect in thin metallic films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bazant, Zdenek P.; Guo Zaoyang; Espinosa, Horacio D.; Zhu Yong; Peng Bei

    2005-01-01

    It is shown that the size effect recently observed by Espinosa et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids51, 47 (2003)] in pure tension tests on free thin metallic films can be explained by the existence of a boundary layer of fixed thickness, located at the surface of the film that was attached onto the substrate during deposition. The boundary layer is influenced by the epitaxial effects of crystal growth on the dislocation density and texture (manifested by prevalent crystal plane orientations). This influence is assumed to cause significantly elevated yield strength. Furthermore, the observed gradual postpeak softening, along with its size independence, which is observed in short film strips subjected to pure tension, is explained by slip localization, originating at notch-like defects, and by damage, which can propagate in a stable manner when the film strip under pure tension is sufficiently thin and short. For general applications, the present epitaxially influenced boundary layer model may be combined with the classical strain-gradient plasticity proposed by Gao et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids 47, 1239 (1999)], and it is shown that this combination is necessary to fit the test data on both pure tension and bending of thin films by one and the same theory. To deal with films having different crystal grain sizes, the Hall-Petch relation for the yield strength dependence on the grain size needs to be incorporated into the combined theory. For very thin films, in which a flattened grain fills the whole film thickness, the Hall-Petch relation needs a cutoff, and the asymptotic increase of yield strength with diminishing film thickness is then described by the extension of Nix's model of misfit dislocations by Zhang and Zhou [J. Adv. Mater. 38, 51 (2002)]. The final result is a proposal of a general theory for strength, size effect, hardening, and softening of thin metallic films

  19. Epitaxially influenced boundary layer model for size effect in thin metallic films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bažant, Zdeněk P.; Guo, Zaoyang; Espinosa, Horacio D.; Zhu, Yong; Peng, Bei

    2005-04-01

    It is shown that the size effect recently observed by Espinosa et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids51, 47 (2003)] in pure tension tests on free thin metallic films can be explained by the existence of a boundary layer of fixed thickness, located at the surface of the film that was attached onto the substrate during deposition. The boundary layer is influenced by the epitaxial effects of crystal growth on the dislocation density and texture (manifested by prevalent crystal plane orientations). This influence is assumed to cause significantly elevated yield strength. Furthermore, the observed gradual postpeak softening, along with its size independence, which is observed in short film strips subjected to pure tension, is explained by slip localization, originating at notch-like defects, and by damage, which can propagate in a stable manner when the film strip under pure tension is sufficiently thin and short. For general applications, the present epitaxially influenced boundary layer model may be combined with the classical strain-gradient plasticity proposed by Gao et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids 47, 1239 (1999)], and it is shown that this combination is necessary to fit the test data on both pure tension and bending of thin films by one and the same theory. To deal with films having different crystal grain sizes, the Hall-Petch relation for the yield strength dependence on the grain size needs to be incorporated into the combined theory. For very thin films, in which a flattened grain fills the whole film thickness, the Hall-Petch relation needs a cutoff, and the asymptotic increase of yield strength with diminishing film thickness is then described by the extension of Nix's model of misfit dislocations by Zhang and Zhou [J. Adv. Mater. 38, 51 (2002)]. The final result is a proposal of a general theory for strength, size effect, hardening, and softening of thin metallic films.

  20. Magnetic state controllable critical temperature in epitaxial Ho/Nb bilayers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanzhou Gu

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available We study the magnetic properties of Ho thin films with different crystallinity (either epitaxial or non-epitaxial and investigate their proximity effects with Nb thin films. Magnetic measurements show that epitaxial Ho has large anisotropy in two different crystal directions in contrast to non-epitaxial Ho. Transport measurements show that the superconducting transition temperature (Tc of Nb thin films can be significantly suppressed at zero field by epitaxial Ho compared with non-epitaxial Ho. We also demonstrate a direct control over Tc by changing the magnetic states of the epitaxial Ho layer, and attribute the strong proximity effects to exchange interaction.

  1. Optimization studies of HgSe thin film deposition by electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy (EC-ALE)

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Venkatasamy, V

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Studies of the optimization of HgSe thin film deposition using electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy (EC-ALE) are reported. Cyclic voltammetry was used to obtain approximate deposition potentials for each element. These potentials were then coupled...

  2. In-situ YBa2Cu3O7/SrTiO3/YBa2Cu3O7 a-b plane Josephson edge junctions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aharoni, E.; Koren, G.; Polturak, E.; Cohen, D.; Iskevitch, E.

    1992-01-01

    YBCO/SrTiO 3 /YBCO thin film edge junctions were prepared in-situ and characterized. The epitaxial growth of SrTiO 3 on YBCO led to a sharp and well defined junction edge with a very high yield. Typical junctions showed critical currents up to 83 K, with I c ∝ (1 - T/Tc) 2 temperature dependence. Sharp Shapiro steps were observed under microwave radiation at temperatures up to 82 K. A typical diffraction pattern was found in the voltage response of the junctions to transverse magnetic field. (orig.)

  3. Self-regulated growth of LaVO3 thin films by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Hai-Tian; Engel-Herbert, Roman; Dedon, Liv R.; Martin, Lane W.

    2015-01-01

    LaVO 3 thin films were grown on SrTiO 3 (001) by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy. A volatile metalorganic precursor, vanadium oxytriisopropoxide (VTIP), and elemental La were co-supplied in the presence of a molecular oxygen flux. By keeping the La flux fixed and varying the VTIP flux, stoichiometric LaVO 3 films were obtained for a range of cation flux ratios, indicating the presence of a self-regulated growth window. Films grown under stoichiometric conditions were found to have the largest lattice parameter, which decreased monotonically with increasing amounts of excess La or V. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering measurements were carried out to confirm film compositions. Stoichiometric growth of complex vanadate thin films independent of cation flux ratios expands upon the previously reported self-regulated growth of perovskite titanates using hybrid molecular beam epitaxy, thus demonstrating the general applicability of this growth approach to other complex oxide materials, where a precise control over film stoichiometry is demanded by the application

  4. Epitaxial thin film growth of LiH using a liquid-Li atomic template

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oguchi, Hiroyuki, E-mail: oguchi@nanosys.mech.tohoku.ac.jp [Department of Nanomechanics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579 (Japan); Micro System Integration Center (muSIC), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-0845 (Japan); Ikeshoji, Tamio; Orimo, Shin-ichi [Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Ohsawa, Takeo; Shiraki, Susumu; Hitosugi, Taro [Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Kuwano, Hiroki [Department of Nanomechanics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579 (Japan)

    2014-11-24

    We report on the synthesis of lithium hydride (LiH) epitaxial thin films through the hydrogenation of a Li melt, forming abrupt LiH/MgO interface. Experimental and first-principles molecular dynamics studies reveal a comprehensive microscopic picture of the crystallization processes, which sheds light on the fundamental atomistic growth processes that have remained unknown in the vapor-liquid-solid method. We found that the periodic structure that formed, because of the liquid-Li atoms at the film/MgO-substrate interface, serves as an atomic template for the epitaxial growth of LiH crystals. In contrast, films grown on the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrates indicated polycrystalline films with a LiAlO{sub 2} secondary phase. These results and the proposed growth process provide insights into the preparation of other alkaline metal hydride thin films on oxides. Further, our investigations open the way to explore fundamental physics and chemistry of metal hydrides including possible phenomena that emerge at the heterointerfaces of metal hydrides.

  5. Epitaxial Oxide Thin Films Grown by Solid Source Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Zihong

    1995-01-01

    The conventional liquid source metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) technique is capable of producing large area, high quality, single crystal semiconductor films. However, the growth of complex oxide films by this method has been hampered by a lack of suitable source materials. While chemists have been actively searching for new source materials, the research work reported here has demonstrated the successful application of solid metal-organic sources (based on tetramethylheptanedionate) to the growth of high quality thin films of binary compound cerium dioxide (CeO_2), and two more complex materials, the ternary compound lithium niobate (LiNbO_3), with two cations, and the quaternary compound strontium barium niobate (SBN), with three cations. The growth of CeO_2 thin films on (1012)Al_2O_3 substrates has been used as a model to study the general growth behavior of oxides. Factors affecting deposition rate, surface morphology, out-of-plane mosaic structure, and film orientation have been carefully investigated. A kinetic model based on gas phase prereaction is proposed to account for the substrate temperature dependence of film orientation found in this system. Atomically smooth, single crystal quality cerium dioxide thin films have been obtained. Superconducting YBCO films sputtered on top of solid source MOCVD grown thin cerium dioxide buffer layers on sapphire have been shown to have physical properties as good as those of YBCO films grown on single crystal MgO substrates. The thin film growth of LiNbO_3 and Sr_{1-x}Ba _{x}Nb_2 O_6 (SBN) was more complex and challenging. Phase purity, transparency, in-plane orientation, and the ferroelectric polarity of LiNbO _3 films grown on sapphire substrates was investigated. The first optical quality, MOCVD grown LiNbO _3 films, having waveguiding losses of less than 2 dB/cm, were prepared. An important aspect of the SBN film growth studies involved finding a suitable single crystal substrate material. Mg

  6. Solid phase epitaxial growth of high mobility La:BaSnO_3 thin films co-doped with interstitial hydrogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niedermeier, Christian A.; Rhode, Sneha; Fearn, Sarah; Moram, Michelle A.; Ide, Keisuke; Hiramatsu, Hidenori; Hosono, Hideo; Kamiya, Toshio

    2016-01-01

    This work presents the solid phase epitaxial growth of high mobility La:BaSnO_3 thin films on SrTiO_3 single crystal substrates by crystallization through thermal annealing of nanocrystalline thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition at room temperature. The La:BaSnO_3 thin films show high epitaxial quality and Hall mobilities up to 26 ± 1 cm"2/Vs. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy is used to determine the La concentration profile in the La:BaSnO_3 thin films, and a 9%–16% La doping activation efficiency is obtained. An investigation of H doping to BaSnO_3 thin films is presented employing H plasma treatment at room temperature. Carrier concentrations in previously insulating BaSnO_3 thin films were increased to 3 × 10"1"9" cm"−"3 and in La:BaSnO_3 thin films from 6 × 10"1"9" cm"−"3 to 1.5 × 10"2"0" cm"−"3, supporting a theoretical prediction that interstitial H serves as an excellent n-type dopant. An analysis of the free electron absorption by infrared spectroscopy yields a small (H,La):BaSnO_3 electron effective mass of 0.27 ± 0.05 m_0 and an optical mobility of 26 ± 7 cm"2/Vs. As compared to La:BaSnO_3 single crystals, the smaller electron mobility in epitaxial thin films grown on SrTiO_3 substrates is ascribed to threading dislocations as observed in high resolution transmission electron micrographs.

  7. Thin film phase diagram of iron nitrides grown by molecular beam epitaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gölden, D.; Hildebrandt, E.; Alff, L.

    2017-01-01

    A low-temperature thin film phase diagram of the iron nitride system is established for the case of thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy and nitrided by a nitrogen radical source. A fine-tuning of the nitridation conditions allows for growth of α ‧ -Fe8Nx with increasing c / a -ratio and magnetic anisotropy with increasing x until almost phase pure α ‧ -Fe8N1 thin films are obtained. A further increase of nitrogen content below the phase decomposition temperature of α ‧ -Fe8N (180 °C) leads to a mixture of several phases that is also affected by the choice of substrate material and symmetry. At higher temperatures (350 °C), phase pure γ ‧ -Fe4N is the most stable phase.

  8. Strain Induced Magnetism in SrRuO3 Epitaxial Thin Films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grutter, A.; Wong, F.; Arenholz, E.; Liberati, M.; Suzuki, Y.

    2010-01-10

    Epitaxial SrRuO{sub 3} thin films were grown on SrTiO{sub 3}, (LaAlO{sub 3}){sub 0.3}(SrAlO{sub 3}){sub 0.7} and LaAlO{sub 3} substrates inducing different biaxial compressive strains. Coherently strained SrRuO{sub 3} films exhibit enhanced magnetization compared to previously reported bulk and thin film values of 1.1-1.6 {micro}{sub B} per formula unit. A comparison of (001) and (110) SrRuO{sub 3} films on each substrate indicates that films on (110) oriented have consistently higher saturated moments than corresponding (001) films. These observations indicate the importance of lattice distortions in controlling the magnetic ground state in this transitional metal oxide.

  9. Deposition of yttrium oxysulfide thin films by atomic layer epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kukli, K.; University of Tartu, Tartu,; Johansson, L-S.; Nykaenen, E.; Peussa, M.; Ninistoe, L.

    1998-01-01

    Full text: Yttrium oxysulfide is a highly interesting material for optoelectronic applications. It is industrially exploited in the form of doped powder in catholuminescent phosphors, e.g. Y 2 O 2 S: Eu 3+ for colour TV. Attempts to grow thin films of Y 2 O 2 S have not been frequent and only partially successful due to the difficulties in obtaining crystalline films at a reasonable temperature. Furthermore, sputtering easily leads to a sulphur deficiency. Evaporation of the elements from a multi-source offers a better control of the stoichiometry resulting in hexagonal (0002) oriented films at 580 deg C. In this paper we present the first successful thin film growth experiments using a chemical process with molecular precursors. Atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) allows the use of a relatively low deposition temperature and thus compatibility with other technologies. Already at 425 deg C the reaction between H 2 S and Y(thd) 3 (thd = 2,2,6,6 - tetramethyl-heptane-3,5- dione) yields a crystalline Y 2 O 2 S thin film which was characterized by XRD, XRF and XPS

  10. Bulk photovoltaic effect in epitaxial (K, Nb) substituted BiFeO3 thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Radhe; Zheng, Fan; Sharma, Yogesh; Hong, Seungbum; Rappe, Andrew; Katiyar, Ram

    We studied the bulk photovoltaic effect in epitaxial (K, Nb) modified BiFeO3 (BKFNO) thin films using theoretical and experimental methods. Epitaxial BKFNO thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). First, we have performed first principles density function theory (DFT) using DFT +U method to calculate electronic band structure, including Hubbard-Ueff (Ueff =U-J) correction into Hamiltonian. The electronic band structure calculations showed a direct band gap at 1.9 eV and a defect level at 1.7 eV (in a 40 atom BKFNO supercell), sufficiently lower in comparison to the experimentally observed values. Furthermore, the piezoforce microscopy (PFM) measurements indicated the presence of striped polydomains in BKFNO thin films. Angle-resolved PFM measurements were also performed to find domain orientation and net polarization directions in these films. The experimental studies of photovoltaic effect in BKNFO films showed a short circuit current of 59 micro amp/cm2 and open circuit voltage of 0.78 V. We compared our experimental results with first principles shift current theory calculations of bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE).The synergy between theory and experimental results provided a realization of significant role of BPVE in order to understand the photovoltaic mechanism in ferroelectrics.

  11. Investigation of DC current injection effect on the microwave characteristics of HTS YBCO microstrip resonators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nurgaliev, T., E-mail: timur@ie.bas.bg [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tsarigradsko Chausse, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Blagoev, B.; Mateev, E.; Neshkov, L. [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tsarigradsko Chausse, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Strbik, V. [Institute of Electrical Engineering, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 841 04 Bratislava (Slovakia); Uspenskaya, L. [Institute of Solid State Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142432 Chernogolovka, Moscow (Russian Federation); Nedkov, I. [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tsarigradsko Chausse, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Chromik, Š. [Institute of Electrical Engineering, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 841 04 Bratislava (Slovakia)

    2014-03-15

    Highlights: • Current (spin) injection effect in LSMO/YBCO was studied by impedance measurements. • Complex impedance of YBCO increases at current injection from LSMO to YBCO at 77 K. • This increase is due to an increase of the quasiparticle conductivity of YBCO. • Injection does not significantly affect the relaxation time of the quasiparticles. - Abstract: The DC current injection effect from a ferromagnetic (FM) La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} (LSMO) to a high temperature superconducting (HTS) Y{sub 1}Ba{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−x} (YBCO) thin film was investigated by the microwave surface impedance measurements in a FM/HTS structure, formed as a microstrip resonator for improving the sensitivity of the experiments. The quality factor and the resonance frequency of this structure were found to strongly depend on the current strength, injected from the LSMO electrode into the HTS microstrip electrode. The magnetic penetration depth and the quasiparticle conductivity of the HTS component were determined to increase under DC current injection process, which in all probability stimulated breaking of Cooper pairs and led to a decrease of the superfluid concentration and an increase of the normal fluid concentration without significantly affecting the relaxation time of the quasiparticles.

  12. Angular dependence of magnetization reversal in epitaxial chromium telluride thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pramanik, Tanmoy, E-mail: pramanik.tanmoy@utexas.edu; Roy, Anupam, E-mail: anupam@austin.utexas.edu; Dey, Rik, E-mail: rikdey@utexas.edu; Rai, Amritesh; Guchhait, Samaresh; Movva, Hema C.P.; Hsieh, Cheng-Chih; Banerjee, Sanjay K.

    2017-09-01

    Highlights: • Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in epitaxial Cr{sub 2}Te{sub 3} has been investigated. • Presence of a relatively strong second order anisotropy contribution is observed. • Magnetization reversal is explained quantitatively using a 1D defect model. • Relative roles of nucleation and pinning in magnetization reversal are discussed. • Domain structures and switching process are visualized by micromagnetic simulation. - Abstract: We investigate magnetic anisotropy and magnetization reversal mechanism in chromium telluride thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. We report existence of strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in these thin films, along with a relatively strong second order anisotropy contribution. The angular variation of the switching field observed from the magnetoresistance measurement is explained quantitatively using a one-dimensional defect model. The model reveals the relative roles of nucleation and pinning in the magnetization reversal, depending on the applied field orientation. Micromagnetic simulations are performed to visualize the domain structure and switching process.

  13. Quantized dissipation and random telegraph voltage noise in epitaxial BiSrCaCuO thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, G.; Savo, B.; Vecchione, A.

    1993-01-01

    In this paper we report on the observation of correlated multiple-voltage RTN switching in high quality epitaxial BiSrCaCuO thin film. We ascribe the correlated noise to the quantization of flux flow dissipation in the film. (orig.)

  14. Growth of conductive HfO{sub 2-x} thin films by reactive molecular beam epitaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hildebrandt, Erwin; Kurian, Jose; Alff, Lambert [Institut fuer Materialwissenschaft, TU Darmstadt (Germany); Kleebe, Hans-Joachim [Institut fuer Angewandte Geowissenschaften, TU Darmstadt (Germany)

    2009-07-01

    Thin films of oxygen deficient hafnium oxide were grown on single crystal c-cut and r-cut sapphire substrates by reactive molecular beam epitaxy. The oxidation conditions during growth were varied within a wide range using RF-activated oxygen. Hafnium oxide thin films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, resistivity measurements ({rho}-T) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show a dramatic increase in conductivity of the deposited oxygen deficient hafnium oxide thin films with decreasing oxidation conditions during growth. The electrical properties of deficient hafnium oxide thin films varied from insulating over semiconducting to conducting. X-ray diffraction data as well as TEM data rule out the possibility of conductivity due to metallic hafnium.

  15. Diamagnetism to ferromagnetism in Sr-substituted epitaxial BaTiO{sub 3} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singamaneni, Srinivasa Rao, E-mail: ssingam@ncsu.edu; Prater, John T. [Materials Science Division, Army Research Office, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States); Punugupati, Sandhyarani; Narayan, Jagdish [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States)

    2016-04-04

    We report on the ferromagnetic-like behavior in otherwise diamagnetic BaTiO{sub 3} (BTO) thin films upon doping with non-magnetic element Sr having the composition Ba{sub 0.4}Sr{sub 0.6}TiO{sub 3} (BST). The epitaxial integration of BST (∼800 nm) thick films on Si (100) substrate was achieved using MgO (40 nm) and TiN (20 nm) as buffer layers to prepare BST/MgO/TiN/Si (100) heterostructure by pulsed laser deposition. The c-axis oriented and cube-on-cube epitaxial BST is formed on Si (100) as evidenced by the in-plane and out-of-plane X-ray diffraction. All the deposited films are relaxed through domain matching epitaxy paradigm as observed from X-ray diffraction pattern and A{sub 1}TO{sub 3} mode (at 521.27 cm{sup −1}) of Raman spectra. As-deposited BST thin films reveal ferromagnetic-like properties, which persist up to 400 K. The magnetization decreases two-fold upon oxygen annealing. In contrast, as-deposited un-doped BTO films show diamagnetism. Electron spin resonance measurements reveal no evidence of external magnetic impurities. XRD and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra show significant changes influenced by Sr doping in BTO. The ferromagnetic-like behavior in BST could be due to the trapped electron donors from oxygen vacancies resulting from Sr-doping.

  16. Out-of-substrate plane orientation control of thin YBa2Cu3O x films on NdGaO3 tilted-axes substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mozhaev, Peter B.; Mozhaeva, Julia E.; Bdikin, Igor K.; Kotelyanskii, Iosif M.; Lusanov, Valery A.; Hansen, Jorn Bindslev; Jacobsen, Claus S.; Kholkin, Andrey L.

    2006-01-01

    Epitaxial heterostructures YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (YBCO)/CeO 2 /NdGaO 3 were prepared on tilted-axes NdGaO 3 substrates using laser ablation technique. Morphology, crystal structure and electrical properties of the obtained films were characterized. The seeding mechanisms are affected by the tilt angle, resulting in superior YBCO films on NdGaO 3 substrates in an intermediate range of tilt angles of 6-14 o . The introduction of CeO 2 layer leads to change of the YBCO film orientation: at low deposition rate c-oriented films are formed, while at high deposition rates the film grows with c-axis tilted along the [1 1 0] NdGaO 3 direction. Bi-epitaxial films and structures were prepared by removal of part of the CeO 2 layer using ion-beam milling

  17. Resistance switching in epitaxial SrCoOx thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tambunan, Octolia T.; Parwanta, Kadek J.; Acharya, Susant K.; Lee, Bo Wha; Jung, Chang Uk; Kim, Yeon Soo; Park, Bae Ho; Jeong, Huiseong; Park, Ji-Yong; Cho, Myung Rae; Park, Yun Daniel; Choi, Woo Seok; Kim, Dong-Wook; Jin, Hyunwoo; Lee, Suyoun; Song, Seul Ji; Kang, Sung-Jin; Kim, Miyoung; Hwang, Cheol Seong

    2014-08-01

    We observed bipolar switching behavior from an epitaxial strontium cobaltite film grown on a SrTiO3 (001) substrate. The crystal structure of strontium cobaltite has been known to undergo topotactic phase transformation between two distinct phases: insulating brownmillerite (SrCoO2.5) and conducting perovskite (SrCoO3-δ) depending on the oxygen content. The current-voltage characteristics of the strontium cobaltite film showed that it could have a reversible insulator-to-metal transition triggered by electrical bias voltage. We propose that the resistance switching in the SrCoOx thin film could be related to the topotactic phase transformation and the peculiar structure of SrCoO2.5.

  18. Resistance switching in epitaxial SrCoOx thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tambunan, Octolia T.; Parwanta, Kadek J.; Acharya, Susant K.; Lee, Bo Wha; Jung, Chang Uk; Kim, Yeon Soo; Park, Bae Ho; Jeong, Huiseong; Park, Ji-Yong; Cho, Myung Rae; Park, Yun Daniel; Choi, Woo Seok; Kim, Dong-Wook; Jin, Hyunwoo; Lee, Suyoun; Song, Seul Ji; Kang, Sung-Jin; Kim, Miyoung; Hwang, Cheol Seong

    2014-01-01

    We observed bipolar switching behavior from an epitaxial strontium cobaltite film grown on a SrTiO 3 (001) substrate. The crystal structure of strontium cobaltite has been known to undergo topotactic phase transformation between two distinct phases: insulating brownmillerite (SrCoO 2.5 ) and conducting perovskite (SrCoO 3−δ ) depending on the oxygen content. The current–voltage characteristics of the strontium cobaltite film showed that it could have a reversible insulator-to-metal transition triggered by electrical bias voltage. We propose that the resistance switching in the SrCoO x thin film could be related to the topotactic phase transformation and the peculiar structure of SrCoO 2.5

  19. Architecture for coated conductors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foltyn, Stephen R.; Arendt, Paul N.; Wang, Haiyan; Stan, Liliana

    2010-06-01

    Articles are provided including a base substrate having a layer of an oriented cubic oxide material with a rock-salt-like structure layer thereon, and, a layer of epitaxial titanium nitride upon the layer of an oriented cubic oxide material having a rock-salt-like structure. Such articles can further include thin films of high temperature superconductive oxides such as YBCO upon the layer of epitaxial titanium nitride or upon a intermediate buffer layer upon the layer of epitaxial titanium nitride.

  20. Effects of crystalline quality and electrode material on fatigue in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin film capacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, J.; Johnson, L.; Safari, A.; Ramesh, R.; Sands, T.; Gilchrist, H.; Keramidas, V. G.

    1993-07-01

    Pb(Zr(0.52)Ti(0.48))O3 (PZT)/Y1Ba2Cu3O(x) (YBCO) heterostructures were grown by pulsed laser deposition, in which PZT films were epitaxial, highly oriented, or polycrystalline. These PZT films were obtained by varying the deposition temperature from 550 to 760 C or by using various substrates such as SrTiO3 (100), MgO (100), and r-plane sapphire. PZT films with Pt top electrodes exhibited large fatigue with 35-50 percent loss of the remanent polarization after 10 exp 9 cycles, depending on the crystalline quality. Polycrystalline films showed better fatigue resistance than epitaxial or highly oriented films. However, PZT films with both top and bottom YBCO electrodes had significantly improved fatigue resistance for both epitaxial and polycrystalline films. Electrode material seems to be a more important parameter in fatigue than the crystalline quality of the PZT films.

  1. Quasi van der Waals epitaxy of copper thin film on single-crystal graphene monolayer buffer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Zonghuan; Sun, Xin; Washington, Morris A.; Lu, Toh-Ming

    2018-03-01

    Quasi van der Waals epitaxial growth of face-centered cubic Cu (~100 nm) thin films on single-crystal monolayer graphene is demonstrated using thermal evaporation at an elevated substrate temperature of 250 °C. The single-crystal graphene was transferred to amorphous (glass) and crystalline (quartz) SiO2 substrates for epitaxy study. Raman analysis showed that the thermal evaporation method had minimal damage to the graphene lattice during the Cu deposition. X-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction analyses revealed that both Cu films are single-crystal with (1 1 1) out-of-plane orientation and in-plane Σ3 twin domains of 60° rotation. The crystallinity of the SiO2 substrates has a negligible effect on the Cu crystal orientation during the epitaxial growth, implying the strong screening effect of graphene. We also demonstrate the epitaxial growth of polycrystalline Cu on a commercial polycrystalline monolayer graphene consisting of two orientation domains offset 30° to each other. It confirms that the crystal orientation of the epitaxial Cu film follows that of graphene, i.e. the Cu film consists of two orientation domains offset 30° to each other when deposited on polycrystalline graphene. Finally, on the contrary to the report in the literature, we show that the direct current and radio frequency flip sputtering method causes significant damage to the graphene lattice during the Cu deposition process, and therefore neither is a suitable method for Cu epitaxial growth on graphene.

  2. High trapped fields in bulk YBCO superconductors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuchs, Günter; Gruss, Stefan; Krabbes, Gernot; Schätzle, Peter; Verges, Peter; Müller, Karl-Hartmut; Fink, Jörg; Schultz, Ludwig

    The trapped field properties of bulk melt-textured YBCO material were investigated at different temperatures. In the temperature range of liquid nitrogen, maximum trapped fields of 1.1 T were found at 77 K by doping of YBCO with small amounts of zinc. The improved pinning of zinc-doped YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) results in a pronounced peak effect in the field dependence of the critical current density. the trapped field at lower temperatures increases due to the increasing critical current density, however, at temperatures around 50 K cracking of the material is observed which is exposed to considerably tensile stresses due to Lorentz forces. Very high trapped fields up to 14.4 T were achieved at 22.5 K for a YBCO disk pair by the addition of silver improving the tensile strength of YBCO and by using a bandage made of a steel tube. The steel tube produces a compressive stress on YBCO after cooling down from 300 K to the measuring temperature, which is due to the higher coeeficient of thermal expansion of steel compared with that of YBCO in the a,b plane. The application of superconducting permanent magnets with trapped fields of 10 T and more in superconducting bearings would allow to obtain very high levitation pressures up to 2500 N/cm2 which is two orders of magnitude higher than the levitation pressure achievable in superconducting bearings with conventional permanent magnets. The most important problem for the application of superconducting permanent magnets is the magnetizing procedure of the YBCO material. Results of magnetizing YBCO disks by using of pulsed magnetic fields will be presented.

  3. Microwave absorption in YBCO/PrBCO superlattices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carlos, W.E.; Kaplan, R.; Lowndes, D.H.; Norton, D.P.

    1992-01-01

    In this paper, non-resonant microwave absorption is employed to probe YBCO/PrBCO superlattices and compare the response to that of a YBCO film. Near the transition temperatures, the response of the superlattice samples and the YBCO film have similar amplitudes and orientation dependencies. At lower temperatures, the response of the superlattices is much stronger than that of the YBCO film and, while both responses are hysteretic at low temperatures, the widths of the hysteresis have opposite orientation dependencies, which the authors attribute to the role of the PrBCO layers

  4. Low-field tunnel-type magnetoresistance properties of polycrystalline and epitaxial La sub 0 sub . sub 6 sub 7 Sr sub 0 sub . sub 3 sub 3 MnO sub 3 thin films

    CERN Document Server

    Shim, I B; Choi, S Y

    2000-01-01

    The low-field tunnel-type magnetoresistance (TMB) properties of sol-gel derived polycrystalline and epitaxial La sub 0 sub . sub 6 sub 7 Sr sub 0 sub . sub 3 sub 3 MnO sub 3 (LSMO) thin films were investigated. The polycrystalline thin films were fabricated on Si (100) with a thermally oxidized SiO sub 2 layer while the epitaxial thin films were grown on LaAlO sub 3 (001) single-crystal substrates. The epitaxial thin films displayed both typical intrinsic colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) and abnormal extrinsic tunnel-type magnetoresistance behaviors. Tunnel-type MR ratio as high as 0.4% were observed in the polycrystalline thin films at a field of 120 Oe at room temperature (300 K) whereas the ratios were less than 0.1% for the epitaxial films in the same field range. The low-field tunnel-type MR of polycrystalline LSMO/SiO sub 2 ?Si (100) thin films originated from the behaviors of the grain-boundary properties.

  5. Critical current in nonhomogeneous YBCO coated conductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rostila, L; Mikkonen, R; Lehtonen, J

    2008-01-01

    The critical current of an YBCO tape is determined by the magnetic field inside the YBCO layer and the quality of YBCO material. In thick YBCO layers the average critical current density is reduced by the self-field and decreased material quality. In this paper the combined influence of the material nonhomogeneities and self-field on the critical current of YBCO tapes is scrutinised. First, the zero field critical current density was assumed to decrease along the YBCO thickness. Secondly, the possible defects created in the cutting of YBCO tapes were modelled as a function of lowered critical current density near the tape edges. In both cases the critical current was computed numerically with integral element method. The results suggest that the variation of zero field critical current density, J c0 , along the tape thickness does not effect on the critical current if the mean value of J c0 is kept constant. However, if J c0 is varied along the tape width the critical current can change due to the variated self-field. The computations can be used to determine when it is possible to evaluate the average zero field critical current density from a voltage-current measurement with an appropriate accuracy

  6. Combinatorial screening of halide perovskite thin films and solar cells by mask-defined IR laser molecular beam epitaxy

    OpenAIRE

    Kawashima, Kazuhiro; Okamoto, Yuji; Annayev, Orazmuhammet; Toyokura, Nobuo; Takahashi, Ryota; Lippmaa, Mikk; Itaka, Kenji; Suzuki, Yoshikazu; Matsuki, Nobuyuki; Koinuma, Hideomi

    2017-01-01

    Abstract As an extension of combinatorial molecular layer epitaxy via ablation of perovskite oxides by a pulsed excimer laser, we have developed a laser molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system for parallel integration of nano-scaled thin films of organic?inorganic hybrid materials. A pulsed infrared (IR) semiconductor laser was adopted for thermal evaporation of organic halide (A-site: CH3NH3I) and inorganic halide (B-site: PbI2) powder targets to deposit repeated A/B bilayer films where the thic...

  7. Epitaxial growth and magnetic properties of ultraviolet transparent Ga2O3/(Ga1-xFex)2O3 multilayer thin films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Daoyou; An, Yuehua; Cui, Wei; Zhi, Yusong; Zhao, Xiaolong; Lei, Ming; Li, Linghong; Li, Peigang; Wu, Zhenping; Tang, Weihua

    2016-04-28

    Multilayer thin films based on the ferromagnetic and ultraviolet transparent semiconductors may be interesting because their magnetic/electronic/photonic properties can be manipulated by the high energy photons. Herein, the Ga2O3/(Ga1-xFex)2O3 multilayer epitaxial thin films were obtained by alternating depositing of wide band gap Ga2O3 layer and Fe ultrathin layer due to inter diffusion between two layers at high temperature using the laser molecular beam epitaxy technique. The multilayer films exhibits a preferred growth orientation of crystal plane, and the crystal lattice expands as Fe replaces Ga site. Fe ions with a mixed valence of Fe(2+) and Fe(3+) are stratified distributed in the film and exhibit obvious agglomerated areas. The multilayer films only show a sharp absorption edge at about 250 nm, indicating a high transparency for ultraviolet light. What's more, the Ga2O3/(Ga1-xFex)2O3 multilayer epitaxial thin films also exhibits room temperature ferromagnetism deriving from the Fe doping Ga2O3.

  8. Epitaxial growth of indium oxyfluoride thin films by reactive pulsed laser deposition: Structural change induced by fluorine insertion into vacancy sites in bixbyite structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okazaki, Sohei; Hirose, Yasushi; Nakao, Shoichiro; Yang, Chang; Harayama, Isao; Sekiba, Daiichiro; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

    2014-01-01

    InO x F y thin films were epitaxially grown on Y-stabilized ZrO 2 (111) substrates by reactive pulsed laser deposition. By changing the substrate temperature (T S ), we were able to control the fluorine content of the film. Phase-pure epitaxial thin films with bixbyite-like ordering in the anion-site occupancy were obtained at high T S (≥ 240 °C), where fluorine was inserted into the vacancy sites in the bixbyite lattice up to y / (x + y) ∼ 0.3. By decreasing T S , y / (x + y) increased and the bixbyite-like ordering disappeared; simultaneously, fluorine-rich and fluorine-poor subphases emerged. The films grown at T S ≤ 150 °C were amorphous and exhibited higher optical absorbance and electrical resistivity than the epitaxial films. - Highlights: • InO x F y epitaxial thin films with high fluorine concentration were grown on Y:ZrO 2 . • Anion composition and structural, optical and transport properties were studied. • Fluorine is topotactically inserted into the oxygen vacancy sites in bixbyite cell. • Bixbyite-like ordering of the anion site occupancy was conserved in y / (x + y) ≤ ∼ 0.3

  9. Growth of HfO{sub x} thin films by reactive molecular beam epitaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hildebrandt, Erwin; Kurian, Jose; Alff, Lambert [Institut fuer Materialwissenschaft, TU Darmstadt (Germany)

    2008-07-01

    Thin films of hafnium oxide were grown on single crystal r-cut and c-cut sapphire by reactive molecular beam epitaxy. The conditions for the growth of single oriented hafnium oxide thin films have been established. Hafnium oxide thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction and optical absorption measurements. It was found that hafnium oxide thin films grown on r-cut sapphire were (00l) oriented whereas, on c-cut sapphire, hafnium oxide films showed different orientations depending on the growth temperature and oxidation conditions. The hafnium oxide films grown at higher temperature and under strong oxidation conditions yielded (001) oriented films on c-cut sapphire whereas slightly weaker oxidation condition leads to (111) oriented hafnium oxide films. The bandgap deducted from optical absorption measurement carried out on hafnium oxide films grown under optimized conditions agreed well with the values reported in literature. A range of oxygen deficient thin films of hafnium oxide were also grown on single crystal sapphire substrates in order to investigate the effect of oxygen vacancies on dielectric properties of hafnium oxide. The oxygen deficient thin films of hafnium oxide show a decrease in bandgap with increase in oxygen deficiency.

  10. Superconducting thin films of As-free pnictide LaPd{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} grown by reactive molecular beam epitaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Retzlaff, Reiner; Buckow, Alexander; Kurian, Jose; Alff, Lambert [Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Petersenstr. 23, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany)

    2013-07-01

    We use reactive molecular beam epitaxy as synthesis technique for the search of arsenic free pnictide superconductors. Epitaxial thin films of LaPd{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} were grown on (100) MgO substrates from elemental sources by simultaneous evaporation of high purity La, Pd and Sb metals by e-gun. LaPd{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} belongs to a novel class of pnictide superconductors with a peculiar pnictide square net layer. Previously, we have reported epitaxial growth of isostructural Bi based compounds. The substitution of Bi by Sb leads to thin films with metallic behavior and room temperature resistivity of about 85 μΩ cm. The highest observed transition temperature T{sub c} inLaPd{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} is 3.1 K and does not depend on x. We discuss strategies to increase T{sub c} in this pnictide subfamily.

  11. Oxygen pressure-tuned epitaxy and magnetic properties of magnetite thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Junran [Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Liu, Wenqing [York-Nanjing Joint Centre (YNJC) for Spintronics and Nanoengineering, Department of Electronics, The University of York, YO10 3DD (United Kingdom); Zhang, Minhao; Zhang, Xiaoqian; Niu, Wei; Gao, Ming [Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Wang, Xuefeng, E-mail: xfwang@nju.edu.cn [Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Du, Jun [School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Zhang, Rong [Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Xu, Yongbing, E-mail: ybxu@nju.edu.cn [Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); York-Nanjing Joint Centre (YNJC) for Spintronics and Nanoengineering, Department of Electronics, The University of York, YO10 3DD (United Kingdom)

    2017-06-15

    Highlights: • Quasi-2D Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} films were obtained by PLD. • RHEED under different oxygen pressure were observed. • Influence of oxygen pressure on Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} films were investigated. • Epitaxy and magnetic properties were tuned by oxygen pressure. • The ratio of Fe{sup 2+}/Fe{sup 3+} fitted by XPS is the tuned factor of M{sub s}. - Abstract: Quasi-two-dimensional magnetite epitaxial thin films have been synthesized by pulsed laser deposition technique at various oxygen pressures. The saturation magnetizations of the magnetite films were found to decrease from 425 emu/cm{sup 3}, which is close to the bulk value, to 175 emu/cm{sup 3} as the growth atmospheres varying from high vacuum (∼1 × 10{sup −8} mbar) to oxygen pressure of 1 × 10{sup −3} mbar. The ratio of the Fe{sup 3+} to Fe{sup 2+} increases from 2 to 2.7 as oxygen pressure increasing shown by XPS fitting, which weakens the net magnetic moment generated by Fe{sup 2+} at octahedral sites as the spins of the Fe{sup 3+} ions at octahedral and tetrahedral sites are aligned in antiparallel. The results offer direct experimental evidence of the influence to the Fe{sup 3+}/Fe{sup 2+} ratio and the magnetic moment in magnetite epitaxy films by oxygen pressure, which is significant for spintronic applications.

  12. Epitaxial growth and characterization of CoO/Fe(001) thin film layered structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brambilla, A.; Sessi, P.; Cantoni, M.; Duo, L.; Finazzi, M.; Ciccacci, F.

    2008-01-01

    By means of X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and low energy electron diffraction, we show that it is possible to grow good quality thin epitaxial CoO films on Fe(001) substrates, through deposition in oxygen atmosphere. In particular, the composition and the structure of CoO(001)/Fe(001) bilayer systems and Fe(001)/CoO(001)/Fe(001) trilayer systems have been investigated by monitoring the evolution of the chemical interactions at the interfaces as a function of CoO thickness and growth temperature. We observe the presence of Fe oxides at the CoO/Fe interface and of a thin layer of metallic cobalt at the upper Fe/CoO interface of trilayer systems

  13. MnSi nanostructures obtained from epitaxially grown thin films: magnetotransport and Hall effect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schroeter, D.; Steinki, N.; Schilling, M.; Fernández Scarioni, A.; Krzysteczko, P.; Dziomba, T.; Schumacher, H. W.; Menzel, D.; Süllow, S.

    2018-06-01

    We present a comparative study of the (magneto)transport properties, including Hall effect, of bulk, epitaxially grown thin film and nanostructured MnSi. In order to set our results in relation to published data we extensively characterize our materials, this way establishing a comparatively good sample quality. Our analysis reveals that in particular for thin film and nanostructured material, there are extrinsic and intrinsic contributions to the electronic transport properties, which by modeling the data we separate out. Finally, we discuss our Hall effect data of nanostructured MnSi under consideration of the extrinsic contributions and with respect to the question of the detection of a topological Hall effect in a skyrmionic lattice.

  14. Passivation of Flexible YBCO Superconducting Current Lead With Amorphous SiO2 Layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johannes, Daniel; Webber, Robert

    2013-01-01

    across a thermal gradient with as little flow of heat as possible to make an efficient current lead. By protecting YBCO on a flexible substrate of low thermal conductivity with SiO2, a thermally efficient and flexible current lead can be fabricated. The technology is also applicable to current leads for 4 K superconducting electronics current biasing. A commercially available thin-film YBCO composite tape conductor is first stripped of its protective silver coating. It is then mounted on a jig that holds the sample flat and acts as a heat sink. Silicon dioxide is then deposited onto the YBCO to a thickness of about 1 micron using PECVD (plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition), without heating the YBCO to the point where degradation occurs. Since SiO2 can have good high-frequency electrical properties, it can be used to coat YBCO cable structures used to feed RF signals across temperature gradients. The prime embodiment concerns the conduction of DC current across the cryogenic temperature gradient. The coating is hard and electrically insulating, but flexible.

  15. Epitaxial growth of silicon for layer transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teplin, Charles; Branz, Howard M

    2015-03-24

    Methods of preparing a thin crystalline silicon film for transfer and devices utilizing a transferred crystalline silicon film are disclosed. The methods include preparing a silicon growth substrate which has an interface defining substance associated with an exterior surface. The methods further include depositing an epitaxial layer of silicon on the silicon growth substrate at the surface and separating the epitaxial layer from the substrate substantially along the plane or other surface defined by the interface defining substance. The epitaxial layer may be utilized as a thin film of crystalline silicon in any type of semiconductor device which requires a crystalline silicon layer. In use, the epitaxial transfer layer may be associated with a secondary substrate.

  16. Experimental study of the plasma fluorination of Y-Ba-Cu-O thin films

    CERN Document Server

    Li Qi; Ji Zheng Ming; Feng Yi Jun; Kang Lin; Yang Sen Zu; Wu Pei Heng; Wang Xiao Shu; Ye Yuda

    2002-01-01

    The authors have experimentally studied the surface modifications of Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) thin films using CF sub 4 plasma. The intensity of the plasma fluorination was controlled by changing the biasing voltage and the time of the plasma treatment. Microstructural analyses reveal that the oxygen content of the YBCO thin films was changed. Transport measurements of sufficient fluorinated YBCO films imply that the films changed totally into an oxygen-deficient semi-conducting state. From these experimental results, the authors believe that plasma fluorination is quite a useful method to form controllable a thin barrier layer in fabricating interface engineered junctions and to form a stable narrow weak-link region in fabricating planar superconductor-normal-superconductor junctions

  17. Epitaxially grown polycrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells on solid-phase crystallised seed layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Wei, E-mail: weili.unsw@gmail.com; Varlamov, Sergey; Xue, Chaowei

    2014-09-30

    Highlights: • Crystallisation kinetic is used to analyse seed layer surface cleanliness. • Simplified RCA cleaning for the seed layer can shorten the epitaxy annealing duration. • RTA for the seed layer can improve the quality for both seed layer and epi-layer. • Epitaxial poly-Si solar cell performance is improved by RTA treated seed layer. - Abstract: This paper presents the fabrication of poly-Si thin film solar cells on glass substrates using seed layer approach. The solid-phase crystallised P-doped seed layer is not only used as the crystalline template for the epitaxial growth but also as the emitter for the solar cell structure. This paper investigates two important factors, surface cleaning and intragrain defects elimination for the seed layer, which can greatly influence the epitaxial grown solar cell performance. Shorter incubation and crystallisation time is observed using a simplified RCA cleaning than the other two wet chemical cleaning methods, indicating a cleaner seed layer surface is achieved. Cross sectional transmission microscope images confirm a crystallographic transferal of information from the simplified RCA cleaned seed layer into the epi-layer. RTA for the SPC seed layer can effectively eliminate the intragrain defects in the seed layer and improve structural quality of both of the seed layer and the epi-layer. Consequently, epitaxial grown poly-Si solar cell on the RTA treated seed layer shows better solar cell efficiency, V{sub oc} and J{sub sc} than the one on the seed layer without RTA treatment.

  18. Ultra-smooth epitaxial Ge grown on Si(001) utilizing a thin C-doped Ge buffer layer

    KAUST Repository

    Mantey, J.; Hsu, W.; James, J.; Onyegam, E. U.; Guchhait, S.; Banerjee, S. K.

    2013-01-01

    Here, we present work on epitaxial Ge films grown on a thin buffer layer of C doped Ge (Ge:C). The growth rate of Ge:C is found to slow over time and is thus unsuitable for thick (>20 nm) layers. We demonstrate Ge films from 10 nm to >150 nm

  19. Structural characterization of metastable hcp-Ni thin films epitaxially grown on Au(100) single-crystal underlayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohtake, Mitsuru; Tanaka, Takahiro; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

    2010-01-01

    Ni(1120) epitaxial thin films with hcp structure were prepared on Au(100) single-crystal underlayers at 100 deg. C by ultra high vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The detailed film structure is studied by in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The hcp-Ni film consists of two types of variants whose c-axes are rotated around the film normal by 90 deg. each other. An atomically sharp boundary is recognized between the film and the underlayer, where misfit dislocations are introduced. Presence of such dislocations seems to relieve the strain caused by the lattice mismatch between the film and the underlayer.

  20. Squid measurement of the Verwey transition on epitaxial (1 0 0) magnetite thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dediu, V.; Arisi, E.; Bergenti, I.; Riminucci, A.; Solzi, M.; Pernechele, C.; Natali, M.

    2007-01-01

    We report results on epitaxial magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) thin films grown by electron beam ablation on (1 0 0) MgAl 2 O 4 substrates. At 120 K magnetite undergoes a structural and electronic transition, the so-called Verwey transition, at which magnetic and conducting properties of the material change. We observed the Verwey transition on epitaxial films with a thickness of 50 nm by comparing zero-field cooling (ZFC) and field cooling (FC) curves measured with a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. Observation of the Verwey transition by SQUID measurements in the films is sign of their high crystalline quality. Room temperature ferromagnetism has also been found by magneto-optical Kerr rotation (MOKE) and confirmed by SQUID measurements, with a hysteresis loop showing a coercive field of hundreds of Oe

  1. Advanced fabrication method for the preparation of MOF thin films: Liquid-phase epitaxy approach meets spin coating method.

    KAUST Repository

    Chernikova, Valeriya; Shekhah, Osama; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

    2016-01-01

    Here we report a new and advanced method for the fabrication of highly oriented/polycrystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films. Building on the attractive features of the liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) approach, a facile spin coating method

  2. A novel epitaxially grown LSO-based thin-film scintillator for micro-imaging using hard synchrotron radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Douissard, P.A.; Martin, T.; Chevalier, V.; Rack, A. [European Synchrotron Radiat Facil, F-38043 Grenoble, (France); Cecilia, A.; Baumbach, T.; Rack, A. [Karlsruhe Inst Technol ANKA, D-76021 Karlsruhe, (Germany); Couchaud, M. [CEA LETI, F-38054 Grenoble, (France); Dupre, K. [FEE GmbH, D-55743 Idar Oberstein, (Germany); Kuhbacher, M. [Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin Mat and Energie, D-14109 Berlin, (Germany)

    2010-07-01

    The efficiency of high-resolution pixel detectors for hard X-rays is nowadays one of the major criteria which drives the feasibility of imaging experiments and in general the performance of an experimental station for synchrotron-based microtomography and radiography. Here the luminescent screen used for the indirect detection is focused on in order to increase the detective quantum efficiency a novel scintillator based on doped Lu{sub 2}SiO{sub 5} (LSO), epitaxially grown as thin film via the liquid phase epitaxy technique. It is shown that, by using adapted growth and doping parameters as well as a dedicated substrate, the scintillation behaviour of a LSO-based thin crystal together with the high stopping power of the material allows for high-performance indirect X-ray detection. In detail, the conversion efficiency, the radioluminescence spectra, the optical absorption spectra under UV/visible-light and the afterglow are investigated. A set-up to study the effect of the thin-film scintillator's temperature on its conversion efficiency is described as well it delivers knowledge which is important when working with higher photon flux densities and the corresponding high heat load on the material. Additionally, X-ray imaging systems based on different diffraction-limited visible-light optics and CCD cameras using among others LSO-based thin film are compared. Finally, the performance of the LSO thin film is illustrated by imaging a honey bee leg, demonstrating the value of efficient high-resolution computed tomography for life sciences. (authors)

  3. YCo5±x thin films with perpendicular anisotropy grown by molecular beam epitaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, S.; Hildebrandt, E.; Sharath, S. U.; Radulov, I.; Alff, L.

    2017-06-01

    The synthesis conditions of buffer-free (00l) oriented YCo5 and Y2Co17 thin films onto Al2O3 (0001) substrates have been explored by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The manipulation of the ratio of individual atomic beams of Yttrium, Y and Cobalt, Co, as well as growth rate variations allows establishing a thin film phase diagram. Highly textured YCo5±x thin films were stabilized with saturation magnetization of 517 emu/cm3 (0.517 MA/m), coercivity of 4 kOe (0.4 T), and anisotropy constant, K1, equal to 5.34 ×106 erg/cm3 (0.53 MJ/m3). These magnetic parameters and the perpendicular anisotropy obtained without additional underlayers make the material system interesting for application in magnetic recording devices.

  4. Critical current density and microwave surface resistance of 5-cm-diameter YBCO films on LaAlO3 substrates prepared by MOD using an infrared image furnace

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manabe, T.; Kondo, W.; Yamaguchi, I.; Sohma, M.; Tsuchiya, T.; Tsukada, K.; Mizuta, S.; Kumagai, T.

    2005-01-01

    Inductive critical current density (J c ) and microwave surface resistance (R s ) were investigated for 0.7-μm-thick epitaxial YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-y (YBCO) films on 5-cm-diameter LaAlO 3 substrates prepared by a chemical solution-based metal organic deposition (MOD) process using an infrared image furnace. By varying the heating rate at ramp during the final heat treatment, we obtained various orientations of YBCO; the c- and a-axis orientation at a slower rate, i.e., 20-100 deg C/min while the pure c-axis orientation at a faster rate, 200 deg C/min. The c-axis-oriented YBCO films showed excellent superconducting properties; for example, a high inductive-J c (77 K) of 2.6 MA/cm 2 and low R s (12 GHz)'s of 0.24 and 0.52 mΩ at 50 and 77 K, respectively, by a sapphire rod resonator method. The c- and a-axis-oriented films exhibited a lower J c and a higher R s . It was found that the J c and R s values of MOD-derived YBCO films showed a strong correlation; approximately, R s is inversely proportional to J c . This correlation is in good agreement with a previous report by Ohshima et al. for sputtered-YBCO films on BaSnO 3 -buffered MgO substrates

  5. Epitaxial growth and control of the sodium content in Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hildebrandt, Sandra; Komissinskiy, Philipp [Institute for Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Major, Marton [Institute for Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); WIGNER RCP, RMKI, H-1525 Budapest, P.O.B. 49 (Hungary); Donner, Wolfgang [Institute for Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Alff, Lambert, E-mail: alff@oxide.tu-darmstadt.de [Institute for Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany)

    2013-10-31

    Single-phase c-axis oriented Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} thin films were grown on (001) SrTiO{sub 3} single-crystal substrates, using pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the epitaxial growth of Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} thin films in two domains, rotated in-plane by 15 and 45 degrees relative to [100] SrTiO{sub 3}. The sodium stoichiometry x of the films can be controlled in a range of 0.38 < x < 0.84 by in-situ post-deposition annealing the Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} films at 720 – 760 °C in oxygen for 10 – 30 min. γ - Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} films are obtained with a full width at half maximum of the (002) Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} rocking curve below 0.2 degrees. The post-deposition annealing can substitute commonly used chemical deintercalation of Na which is typically associated with a loss in crystallinity. - Highlights: • Single phase Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition • Epitaxial relations of Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} thin films on (001) SrTiO{sub 3} substrates • Multi-domain thin films • Control of sodium content by in-situ annealing of Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} thin films.

  6. Epitaxial growth and magnetic properties of ultraviolet transparent Ga2O3/(Ga1−xFex)2O3 multilayer thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Daoyou; An, Yuehua; Cui, Wei; Zhi, Yusong; Zhao, Xiaolong; Lei, Ming; Li, Linghong; Li, Peigang; Wu, Zhenping; Tang, Weihua

    2016-01-01

    Multilayer thin films based on the ferromagnetic and ultraviolet transparent semiconductors may be interesting because their magnetic/electronic/photonic properties can be manipulated by the high energy photons. Herein, the Ga2O3/(Ga1−xFex)2O3 multilayer epitaxial thin films were obtained by alternating depositing of wide band gap Ga2O3 layer and Fe ultrathin layer due to inter diffusion between two layers at high temperature using the laser molecular beam epitaxy technique. The multilayer films exhibits a preferred growth orientation of crystal plane, and the crystal lattice expands as Fe replaces Ga site. Fe ions with a mixed valence of Fe2+ and Fe3+ are stratified distributed in the film and exhibit obvious agglomerated areas. The multilayer films only show a sharp absorption edge at about 250 nm, indicating a high transparency for ultraviolet light. What’s more, the Ga2O3/(Ga1−xFex)2O3 multilayer epitaxial thin films also exhibits room temperature ferromagnetism deriving from the Fe doping Ga2O3. PMID:27121446

  7. Optical properties of aluminum nitride thin films grown by direct-current magnetron sputtering close to epitaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stolz, A. [Institut d' Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie (IEMN), UMR CNRS 8520, PRES Lille, Université Nord de France, Avenue Poincaré, 59652 Villeneuve d' Ascq Cedex (France); Soltani, A., E-mail: ali.soltani@iemn.univ-lille1.fr [Institut d' Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie (IEMN), UMR CNRS 8520, PRES Lille, Université Nord de France, Avenue Poincaré, 59652 Villeneuve d' Ascq Cedex (France); Abdallah, B. [Department of Materials Physics, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, Damascus, P.O. Box 6091 (Syrian Arab Republic); Charrier, J. [Fonctions Optiques pour les Technologies de l' informatiON (FOTON), UMR CNRS 6082, 6, rue de Kerampont CS 80518, 22305 Lannion Cedex (France); Deresmes, D. [Institut d' Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie (IEMN), UMR CNRS 8520, PRES Lille, Université Nord de France, Avenue Poincaré, 59652 Villeneuve d' Ascq Cedex (France); Jouan, P.-Y.; Djouadi, M.A. [Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel – IMN, UMR CNRS 6502, 2, rue de la Houssinère BP 32229, 44322 Nantes (France); Dogheche, E.; De Jaeger, J.-C. [Institut d' Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie (IEMN), UMR CNRS 8520, PRES Lille, Université Nord de France, Avenue Poincaré, 59652 Villeneuve d' Ascq Cedex (France)

    2013-05-01

    Low-temperature Aluminum Nitride (AlN) thin films with a thickness of 3 μm were deposited by Direct-Current magnetron sputtering on sapphire substrate. They present optical properties similar to those of epitaxially grown films. Different characterization methods such as X-Ray Diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy were used to determine the structural properties of the films such as its roughness and crystallinity. Newton interferometer was used for stress measurement of the films. Non-destructive prism-coupling technique was used to determine refractive index and thickness homogeneity by a mapping on the whole sample area. Results show that AlN films grown on AlGaN layer have a high crystallinity close to epitaxial films, associated to a low intrinsic stress for low thickness. These results highlight that it is possible to grow thick sample with microstructure and optical properties close to epitaxy, even on a large surface. - Highlights: ► Aluminum Nitride sputtering technique with a low temperature growth process ► Epitaxial quality of two microns sputtered Aluminum Nitride film ► Optics as a non-destructive accurate tool for acoustic wave investigation.

  8. BiFeO3 epitaxial thin films and devices: past, present and future

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sando, D.; Barthélémy, A.; Bibes, M.

    2014-11-01

    The celebrated renaissance of the multiferroics family over the past ten years has also been that of its most paradigmatic member, bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3). Known since the 1960s to be a high temperature antiferromagnet and since the 1970s to be ferroelectric, BiFeO3 only had its bulk ferroic properties clarified in the mid-2000s. It is however the fabrication of BiFeO3 thin films and their integration into epitaxial oxide heterostructures that have fully revealed its extraordinarily broad palette of functionalities. Here we review the first decade of research on BiFeO3 films, restricting ourselves to epitaxial structures. We discuss how thickness and epitaxial strain influence not only the unit cell parameters, but also the crystal structure, illustrated for instance by the discovery of the so-called T-like phase of BiFeO3. We then present its ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties and their evolution near morphotropic phase boundaries. Magnetic properties and their modification by thickness and strain effects, as well as optical parameters, are covered. Finally, we highlight various types of devices based on BiFeO3 in electronics, spintronics, and optics, and provide perspectives for the development of further multifunctional devices for information technology and energy harvesting.

  9. Flux pinning in MOD YBCO films by chemical doping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Y X; Ghalsasi, S; Rusakova, I; Salama, K

    2007-01-01

    A novel nanomaterial synthesis technique has been developed to introduce 0D (particles), 1D (columnar defects) and 3D (domains) nanoscale pinning centres in MOD Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) coated conductors. We have succeeded in introducing nanoscale Y enriched particles, nanoscale 90 0 rotated Y 1/3 Sm 2/3 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7 domains and nanoscale Zr enriched columnar defects into YBCO layers by different chemical doping. The pinning force density in Y 2 O 3 -doped YBCO film is found to be larger than that of pure YBCO film at all fields. Also it was found that YBCO films with Sm substituting for Y have yielded improved critical current density characteristics over a wide range of magnetic fields. Maximum pinning force densities exceeding 7 and 8 GN m -3 are obtained in 5% BZO-doped and Sm substituted YBCO films, respectively. Additionally, TEM studies revealed nanoscale Zr enriched columnar defects distributing in the matrix of the c-oriented YBCO film throughout the whole cross section. This indicates that chemical doping is a promising fabrication technique to create specific pinning landscapes in YBCO coated conductors

  10. The liquid phase epitaxy method for the construction of oriented ZIF-8 thin films with controlled growth on functionalized surfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Shekhah, Osama; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

    2013-01-01

    Highly-oriented ZIF-8 thin films with controllable thickness were grown on an -OH-functionalized Au substrate using the liquid phase epitaxy method at room temperature, as evidenced by SEM and PXRD. The adsorption-desorption properties of the resulting ZIF-8 thin film were investigated for various VOCs using the QCM technique. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013.

  11. Preparation and characterization of epitaxially grown unsupported yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Götsch, Thomas; Mayr, Lukas [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Universität Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria); Stöger-Pollach, Michael [University Service Center for Transmission Electron Microscopy (USTEM), Vienna University of Technology, A-1040 Vienna (Austria); Klötzer, Bernhard [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Universität Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria); Penner, Simon, E-mail: simon.penner@uibk.ac.at [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Universität Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria)

    2015-03-15

    Highlights: • Preparation of unsupported yttrium-stabilized zirconia films. • Control of ordering and epitaxy by temperature of deposition template. • Adjustment of film defectivity by deposition and post-oxidation temperature. • Reproducibility of target stoichiometry in the deposited films. • Lateral and vertical chemical homogeneity. - Abstract: Epitaxially grown, chemically homogeneous yttria-stabilized zirconia thin films (“YSZ”, 8 mol% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}) are prepared by direct-current sputtering onto a single-crystalline NaCl(0 0 1) template at substrate temperatures ≥493 K, resulting in unsupported YSZ films after floating off NaCl in water. A combined methodological approach by dedicated (surface science) analytical characterization tools (transmission electron microscopy and diffraction, atomic force microscopy, angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) reveals that the film grows mainly in a [0 0 1] zone axis and no Y-enrichment in surface or bulk regions takes place. In fact, the Y-content of the sputter target is preserved in the thin films. Analysis of the plasmon region in EEL spectra indicates a defective nature of the as-deposited films, which can be suppressed by post-deposition oxidation at 1073 K. This, however, induces considerable sintering, as deduced from surface morphology measurements by AFM. In due course, the so-prepared unsupported YSZ films might act as well-defined model systems also for technological applications.

  12. Orientation-dependent physical properties of layered perovskite La{sub 1.3}Sr{sub 1.7}Mn{sub 2}O{sub 7} epitaxial thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Niu, Li-Wei; Guo, Bing; Chen, Chang-Le, E-mail: chenchl@nwpu.edu.cn; Luo, Bing-Cheng; Dong, Xiang-Lei; Jin, Ke-Xin

    2017-04-01

    In this paper, the resistivity and magnetization of orientation-engineered layered perovskite La{sub 1.3}Sr{sub 1.7}Mn{sub 2}O{sub 7} epitaxial thin films have been investigated. Epitaxial thin films were deposited on single-crystalline LaAlO{sub 3} (LAO) (001), (110) and (111) substrates by pulse laser deposition (PLD) technique. It is found that only the (100)-oriented thin film performs insulator behavior, whereas the (110) and (111)-oriented thin films exhibit obvious metal-insulator transition at 70 K and between 85 and 120 K, respectively. Moreover, the same spin freezing temperature and different spin-glass-like transition temperatures have been observed in various oriented films. The observed experimental results were discussed according to the electron-transport mechanism and spin dynamics.

  13. Epitaxial growth of indium oxyfluoride thin films by reactive pulsed laser deposition: Structural change induced by fluorine insertion into vacancy sites in bixbyite structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Okazaki, Sohei [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Hirose, Yasushi, E-mail: hirose@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Nakao, Shoichiro [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Yang, Chang [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Harayama, Isao; Sekiba, Daiichiro [Tandem Accelerator Complex, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 (Japan); Hasegawa, Tetsuya [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)

    2014-05-30

    InO{sub x}F{sub y} thin films were epitaxially grown on Y-stabilized ZrO{sub 2} (111) substrates by reactive pulsed laser deposition. By changing the substrate temperature (T{sub S}), we were able to control the fluorine content of the film. Phase-pure epitaxial thin films with bixbyite-like ordering in the anion-site occupancy were obtained at high T{sub S} (≥ 240 °C), where fluorine was inserted into the vacancy sites in the bixbyite lattice up to y / (x + y) ∼ 0.3. By decreasing T{sub S}, y / (x + y) increased and the bixbyite-like ordering disappeared; simultaneously, fluorine-rich and fluorine-poor subphases emerged. The films grown at T{sub S} ≤ 150 °C were amorphous and exhibited higher optical absorbance and electrical resistivity than the epitaxial films. - Highlights: • InO{sub x}F{sub y} epitaxial thin films with high fluorine concentration were grown on Y:ZrO{sub 2}. • Anion composition and structural, optical and transport properties were studied. • Fluorine is topotactically inserted into the oxygen vacancy sites in bixbyite cell. • Bixbyite-like ordering of the anion site occupancy was conserved in y / (x + y) ≤ ∼ 0.3.

  14. Highly Crystalline C8-BTBT Thin-Film Transistors by Lateral Homo-Epitaxial Growth on Printed Templates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janneck, Robby; Pilet, Nicolas; Bommanaboyena, Satya Prakash; Watts, Benjamin; Heremans, Paul; Genoe, Jan; Rolin, Cedric

    2017-11-01

    Highly crystalline thin films of organic semiconductors offer great potential for fundamental material studies as well as for realizing high-performance, low-cost flexible electronics. The fabrication of these films directly on inert substrates is typically done by meniscus-guided coating techniques. The resulting layers show morphological defects that hinder charge transport and induce large device-to-device variability. Here, a double-step method for organic semiconductor layers combining a solution-processed templating layer and a lateral homo-epitaxial growth by a thermal evaporation step is reported. The epitaxial regrowth repairs most of the morphological defects inherent to meniscus-guided coatings. The resulting film is highly crystalline and features a mobility increased by a factor of three and a relative spread in device characteristics improved by almost half an order of magnitude. This method is easily adaptable to other coating techniques and offers a route toward the fabrication of high-performance, large-area electronics based on highly crystalline thin films of organic semiconductors. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Out-of-substrate plane orientation control of thin YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O {sub x} films on NdGaO{sub 3} tilted-axes substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mozhaev, Peter B. [Institute of Physics and Technology RAS, Moscow 117218 (Russian Federation) and Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, DK-2800 (Denmark)]. E-mail: pbmozh@nm.ru; Mozhaeva, Julia E. [Institute of Physics and Technology RAS, Moscow 117218 (Russian Federation); Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, DK-2800 (Denmark); Bdikin, Igor K. [Institute of Solid State Physics RAS, Chernogolovka, Moscow distr., 142432 (Russian Federation); CICECO, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193 (Portugal); Kotelyanskii, Iosif M. [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS, Moscow 125009 (Russian Federation); Lusanov, Valery A. [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS, Moscow 125009 (Russian Federation); Hansen, Jorn Bindslev [Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, DK-2800 (Denmark); Jacobsen, Claus S. [Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, DK-2800 (Denmark); Kholkin, Andrey L. [CICECO, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193 (Portugal)

    2006-02-01

    Epitaxial heterostructures YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O {sub x}(YBCO)/CeO{sub 2}/NdGaO{sub 3} were prepared on tilted-axes NdGaO{sub 3} substrates using laser ablation technique. Morphology, crystal structure and electrical properties of the obtained films were characterized. The seeding mechanisms are affected by the tilt angle, resulting in superior YBCO films on NdGaO{sub 3} substrates in an intermediate range of tilt angles of 6-14{sup o}. The introduction of CeO{sub 2} layer leads to change of the YBCO film orientation: at low deposition rate c-oriented films are formed, while at high deposition rates the film grows with c-axis tilted along the [1 1 0] NdGaO{sub 3} direction. Bi-epitaxial films and structures were prepared by removal of part of the CeO{sub 2} layer using ion-beam milling.

  16. Incorporation of self-organised gold nano crystals in YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}} thin films: Modification of superconducting properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katzer, Christian; Michalowski, Peter; Westerhausen, Markus; Koch, Stefanie; Schmidl, Frank; Seidel, Paul [Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena, Helmholtzweg 5, 07743 Jena (Germany); Treiber, Sebastian [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Intelligente Systeme, Heisenbergstrasse 3, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Albrecht, Joachim [Hochschule Aalen, Beethovenstrasse 1, 73430 Aalen (Germany)

    2012-07-01

    Using pulsed laser deposition we are able to fabricate and examine Yttrium-Barium-Copper-Oxide (YBCO) thin films of high quality. A particular point of interest thereby is the influence of a pre-deposited gold layer with a well-defined film thickness. During the growth of the YBCO thin film the intermediate gold layer self assembles into crystalline nano particles, which modify the growth conditions and hence the physical properties of the growing YBCO. We report on the modification of structural and superconducting properties of our YBCO thin films (such as rocking curve widths, critical temperature T{sub c} and critical current density j{sub c}) comparing conventional to Au added YBCO. The temperature dependence of the critical current density thereby was determined using transport measurements as well as magneto-optical measurements. Furthermore investigations of the flux noise of our gold modified YBCO films are presented.

  17. Unit cell determination of epitaxial thin films based on reciprocal space vectors by high-resolution X-ray diffractometry

    OpenAIRE

    Yang, Ping; Liu, Huajun; Chen, Zuhuang; Chen, Lang; Wang, John

    2013-01-01

    A new approach, based on reciprocal space vectors (RSVs), is developed to determine Bravais lattice types and accurate lattice parameters of epitaxial thin films by high-resolution X-ray diffractometry (HR-XRD). The lattice parameters of single crystal substrates are employed as references to correct the systematic experimental errors of RSVs of thin films. The general procedure is summarized, involving correction of RSVs, derivation of raw unit cell, subsequent conversion to the Niggli unit ...

  18. Pulsed laser deposition of YBCO coated conductor using Y2O3 as the seed and cap layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnes, P N; Nekkanti, R M; Haugan, T J; Campbell, T A; Yust, N A; Evans, J M

    2004-01-01

    Although a variety of buffer layers have been routinely reported, a standard architecture commonly used for the Y Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) coated conductor is Y BCO/CeO 2 /Y SZ/CeO 2 /substrate or Y BCO/CeO 2 /Y SZ/Y 2 O 3 /substrate where ceria is typically the cap layer. CeO 2 is generally used as only a seed (or cap layer) since cracking within the film occurs in thicker CeO 2 layers due to the stress of lattice mismatching. Y 2 O 3 has been proposed as a seed and as a cap layer but usually not for both in a given architecture, especially with all layers deposited in situ. Yttrium oxide films grown on nickel by electron beam evaporation processes were found to be dense and crack free with good epitaxy. In this report, pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of Y 2 O 3 is given where Y 2 O 3 serves as both the seed and cap layer in the YBCO architecture. A comparison to PLD CeO 2 is provided. Deposited layers of the YBCO coated conductor are also grown by laser ablation. Initial deposition resulted in specimens on textured Ni substrates with current densities of more than 1 MA cm -2 at 77 K, self-field

  19. Flexoelectricity induced increase of critical thickness in epitaxial ferroelectric thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Hao; Hong Jiawang; Zhang Yihui; Li Faxin; Pei Yongmao; Fang Daining

    2012-01-01

    Flexoelectricity describes the coupling between polarization and strain/stress gradients in insulating crystals. In this paper, using the Landau-Ginsburg-Devonshire phenomenological approach, we found that flexoelectricity could increase the theoretical critical thickness in epitaxial BaTiO 3 thin films, below which the switchable spontaneous polarization vanishes. This increase is remarkable in tensile films while trivial in compressive films due to the electrostriction caused decrease of potential barrier, which can be easily destroyed by the flexoelectricity, between the ferroelectric state and the paraelectric state in tensile films. In addition, the films are still in a uni-polar state even below the critical thickness due to the flexoelectric effect.

  20. Flexoelectricity induced increase of critical thickness in epitaxial ferroelectric thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou Hao [State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Hong Jiawang; Zhang Yihui [Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Li Faxin [State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Pei Yongmao, E-mail: peiym@pku.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Fang Daining, E-mail: fangdn@pku.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2012-09-01

    Flexoelectricity describes the coupling between polarization and strain/stress gradients in insulating crystals. In this paper, using the Landau-Ginsburg-Devonshire phenomenological approach, we found that flexoelectricity could increase the theoretical critical thickness in epitaxial BaTiO{sub 3} thin films, below which the switchable spontaneous polarization vanishes. This increase is remarkable in tensile films while trivial in compressive films due to the electrostriction caused decrease of potential barrier, which can be easily destroyed by the flexoelectricity, between the ferroelectric state and the paraelectric state in tensile films. In addition, the films are still in a uni-polar state even below the critical thickness due to the flexoelectric effect.

  1. Modeling the transport properties of epitaxially grown thermoelectric oxide thin films using spectroscopic ellipsometry

    KAUST Repository

    Sarath Kumar, S. R.

    2012-02-01

    The influence of oxygen vacancies on the transport properties of epitaxial thermoelectric (Sr,La)TiO3 thin films is determined using electrical and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements. Oxygen vacancy concentration was varied by ex-situ annealing in Ar and Ar/H2. All films exhibited degenerate semiconducting behavior, and electrical conductivity decreased (258–133 S cm−1) with increasing oxygen content. Similar decrease in the Seebeck coefficient is observed and attributed to a decrease in effective mass (7.8–3.2 me ), as determined by SE. Excellent agreement between transport properties deduced from SE and direct electrical measurements suggests that SE is an effective tool for studying oxide thin film thermoelectrics.

  2. Modeling the transport properties of epitaxially grown thermoelectric oxide thin films using spectroscopic ellipsometry

    KAUST Repository

    Sarath Kumar, S. R.; Abutaha, Anas I.; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Alshareef, Husam N.

    2012-01-01

    The influence of oxygen vacancies on the transport properties of epitaxial thermoelectric (Sr,La)TiO3 thin films is determined using electrical and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements. Oxygen vacancy concentration was varied by ex-situ annealing in Ar and Ar/H2. All films exhibited degenerate semiconducting behavior, and electrical conductivity decreased (258–133 S cm−1) with increasing oxygen content. Similar decrease in the Seebeck coefficient is observed and attributed to a decrease in effective mass (7.8–3.2 me ), as determined by SE. Excellent agreement between transport properties deduced from SE and direct electrical measurements suggests that SE is an effective tool for studying oxide thin film thermoelectrics.

  3. Effects of substrate temperature and Cu underlayer thickness on the formation of SmCo5(0001) epitaxial thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohtake, Mitsuru; Nukaga, Yuri; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

    2010-01-01

    SmCo 5 (0001) epitaxial thin films were prepared on Cu(111) underlayers heteroepitaxially grown on Al 2 O 3 (0001) single-crystal substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The effects of substrate temperature and Cu underlayer thickness on the crystallographic properties of SmCo 5 (0001) epitaxial films were investigated. The Cu atoms of underlayer diffuse into the SmCo 5 film and substitute the Co sites in SmCo 5 structure forming an alloy compound of Sm(Co,Cu) 5 . The ordered phase formation is enhanced with increasing the substrate temperature and with increasing the Cu underlayer thickness. The Cu atom diffusion into the SmCo 5 film is assisting the formation of Sm(Co,Cu) 5 ordered phase.

  4. Scintillation efficiency and X-ray imaging with the RE-Doped LuAG thin films grown by liquid phase epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tous, Jan; Blazek, Karel; Kucera, Miroslav; Nikl, Martin; Mares, Jiri A.

    2012-01-01

    Very thin scintillator imaging plates have recently become of great interest. In high resolution X-ray radiography, very thin scintillator layers of about 5–20 μm are used to achieve 2D-spatial resolutions below 1 μm. Thin screens can be prepared by mechanical polishing from single crystals or by epitaxial growth on single-crystal substrates using the Liquid Phase Epitaxy technique (LPE). Other types of screens (e.g. deposited powder) do no reach required spatial resolutions. This work compares LPE-grown YAG and LuAG scintillator films doped with different rare earth ions (Cerium, Terbium and Europium). Two different fluxes were used in the LPE growth procedure. These LPE films are compared to YAG:Ce and LuAG:Ce screens made from bulk single crystals. Relative light yield was detected by a highly sensitive CCD camera. Scintillator screens were excited by a micro-focus X-ray source and the generated light was gathered by the CCD camera’s optical system. Scintillator 2D-homogeneity is examined in an X-ray imaging setup also using the CCD camera.

  5. Epitaxy physical principles and technical implementation

    CERN Document Server

    Herman, Marian A; Sitter, Helmut

    2004-01-01

    Epitaxy provides readers with a comprehensive treatment of the modern models and modifications of epitaxy, together with the relevant experimental and technological framework. This advanced textbook describes all important aspects of the epitaxial growth processes of solid films on crystalline substrates, including a section on heteroepitaxy. It covers and discusses in details the most important epitaxial growth techniques, which are currently widely used in basic research as well as in manufacturing processes of devices, namely solid-phase epitaxy, liquid-phase epitaxy, vapor-phase epitaxy, including metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy and molecular-beam epitaxy. Epitaxy’s coverage of science and texhnology thin-film is intended to fill the need for a comprehensive reference and text examining the variety of problems related to the physical foundations and technical implementation of epitaxial crystallization. It is intended for undergraduate students, PhD students, research scientists, lecturers and practic...

  6. Epitaxial Growth of Permalloy Thin Films on MgO Single-Crystal Substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohtake, Mitsuru; Tanaka, Takahiro; Matsubara, Katsuki; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

    2011-01-01

    Permalloy (Py: Ni - 20 at. % Fe) thin films were prepared on MgO single-crystal substrates of (100), (110), and (111) orientations by molecular beam epitaxy. Py crystals consisting of fcc(100) and hcp(112-bar 0) orientations epitaxially nucleate on MgO(100) substrates. With increasing the substrate temperature, the volume ratio of fcc(100) to hcp(112-bar 0) crystal increases. The metastable hcp(112-bar 0) structure transforms into more stable fcc(110) structure with increasing the film thickness. Py(110) fcc single-crystal films are obtained on MgO(110) substrates, whereas Py films epitaxially grow on MgO(111) substrates with two types of fcc(111) variants whose orientations are rotated around the film normal by 180 deg. each other. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings of these fcc-Py films agree within ±0.4% with the values of bulk fcc-Py crystal, suggesting that the strains in the films are very small. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy shows that periodical misfit dislocations are preferentially introduced in the films around the Py/MgO(100) and the Py/MgO(110) interfaces to reduce the lattice mismatches. The magnetic properties are considered to be reflecting the magnetocrystalline anisotropies of bulk fcc-Py and/or metastable hcp-Py crystals and the shape anisotropy caused by the surface undulations.

  7. Epitaxial Growth of Permalloy Thin Films on MgO Single-Crystal Substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ohtake, Mitsuru; Tanaka, Takahiro; Matsubara, Katsuki; Futamoto, Masaaki [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551 (Japan); Kirino, Fumiyoshi, E-mail: ohtake@futamoto.elect.chuo-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, 12-8 Ueno-koen, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8714 (Japan)

    2011-07-06

    Permalloy (Py: Ni - 20 at. % Fe) thin films were prepared on MgO single-crystal substrates of (100), (110), and (111) orientations by molecular beam epitaxy. Py crystals consisting of fcc(100) and hcp(112-bar 0) orientations epitaxially nucleate on MgO(100) substrates. With increasing the substrate temperature, the volume ratio of fcc(100) to hcp(112-bar 0) crystal increases. The metastable hcp(112-bar 0) structure transforms into more stable fcc(110) structure with increasing the film thickness. Py(110){sub fcc} single-crystal films are obtained on MgO(110) substrates, whereas Py films epitaxially grow on MgO(111) substrates with two types of fcc(111) variants whose orientations are rotated around the film normal by 180 deg. each other. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings of these fcc-Py films agree within {+-}0.4% with the values of bulk fcc-Py crystal, suggesting that the strains in the films are very small. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy shows that periodical misfit dislocations are preferentially introduced in the films around the Py/MgO(100) and the Py/MgO(110) interfaces to reduce the lattice mismatches. The magnetic properties are considered to be reflecting the magnetocrystalline anisotropies of bulk fcc-Py and/or metastable hcp-Py crystals and the shape anisotropy caused by the surface undulations.

  8. YBa2Cu3O7 nanobridges fabricated by direct-write electron beam lithography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wendt, J.R.; Martens, J.S.; Ashby, C.I.H.; Plut, T.A.; Hietala, V.M.; Tigges, C.P.; Ginley, D.S.; Siegal, M.P.; Phillips, J.M.; Hohenwarter, G.K.G.

    1992-01-01

    A direct method for nondamaging, nanometer-scale patterning of high T c superconductor thin films is presented. We have fabricated superconducting nanobridges in high-quality, epitaxial thin-film YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) by combining direct-write electron beam lithography and an improved aqueous etchant. Weak links with both length and width dimensions less than 20 nm have exhibited critical currents at 77 K of 4--20 μA and I cRn products of 10--100 μV which compare favorably with results for other YBCO junction technologies. We have used this technique in the fabrication of a shock-wave pulse former as an initial demonstration of its applicability to monolithic superconductive electronics

  9. Interface formation and defect structures in epitaxial La2Zr2O7 thin films on (111) Si

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seo, J.W.; Fompeyrine, J.; Guiller, A.; Norga, G.; Marchiori, C.; Siegwart, H.; Locquet, J.-P.

    2003-01-01

    We have studied the growth of epitaxial La 2 Zr 2 O 7 thin films on (111) Si. Although the interface structure can be strongly affected by the Si oxidation during the deposition process, epitaxial growth of La 2 Zr 2 O 7 was obtained. A detailed study by means of transmission electron microscopy reveals two types of structures (pyrochlore and fluorite) with the same average chemical composition but strong differences in reactivity and interface formation. The structural complexity of the ordered pyrochlore structure seems to prevent excess oxygen diffusion and interfacial SiO 2 formation

  10. Mechanical properties of metal-organic frameworks: An indentation study on epitaxial thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bundschuh, S.; Kraft, O.; Arslan, H. K.; Gliemann, H.; Weidler, P. G.; Wöll, C.

    2012-09-01

    We have determined the hardness and Young's modulus of a highly porous metal-organic framework (MOF) using a standard nanoindentation technique. Despite the very low density of these films, 1.22 g cm-3, Young's modulus reaches values of almost 10 GPa for HKUST-1, demonstrating that this porous coordination polymer is substantially stiffer than normal polymers. This progress in characterizing mechanical properties of MOFs has been made possible by the use of high quality, oriented thin films grown using liquid phase epitaxy on modified Au substrates.

  11. Epitaxial growth and structural characterization of Pb(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O3 thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, W.; Lemee, N.; Holc, J.; Kosec, M.; Blinc, R.; Karkut, M.G.

    2009-01-01

    We have grown lead iron niobate thin films with composition Pb(Fe 1/2 Nb 1/2 )O 3 (PFN) on (0 0 1) SrTiO 3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The influence of the deposition conditions on the phase purity was studied. Due to similar thermodynamic stability spaces, a pyrochlore phase often coexists with the PFN perovskite phase. By optimizing the kinetic parameters, we succeeded in identifying a deposition window which resulted in epitaxial perovskite-phase PFN thin films with no identifiable trace of impurity phases appearing in the X-ray diffractograms. PFN films having thicknesses between 20 and 200 nm were smooth and epitaxially oriented with the substrate and as demonstrated by RHEED streaks which were aligned with the substrate axes. X-ray diffraction showed that the films were completely c-axis oriented and of excellent crystalline quality with low mosaicity (X-ray rocking curve FWHM≤0.09 deg.). The surface roughness of thin films was also investigated by atomic force microscopy. The root-mean-square roughness varies between 0.9 nm for 50-nm-thick films to 16 nm for 100-nm-thick films. We also observe a correlation between grain size, surface roughness and film thickness.

  12. Molecular beam epitaxy growth of InSb1-xBix thin films

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yuxin Song; Shumin Wang; Saha Roy, Ivy

    2013-01-01

    Molecular beam epitaxy growth for InSb1-xBix thin films on (100) GaAs substrates is reported. Successful Bi incorporation for 2% is achieved, and up to 70% of the incorporated Bi atoms are at substitutional sites. The effects of growth parameters on Bi incorporation and surface morphology are stu...

  13. Non-Epitaxial Thin-Film Indium Phosphide Photovoltaics: Growth, Devices, and Cost Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Maxwell S.

    In recent years, the photovoltaic market has grown significantly as module prices have continued to come down. Continued growth of the field requires higher efficiency modules at lower manufacturing costs. In particular, higher efficiencies reduce the area needed for a given power output, thus reducing the downstream balance of systems costs that scale with area such as mounting frames, installation, and soft costs. Cells and modules made from III-V materials have the highest demonstrated efficiencies to date but are not yet at the cost level of other thin film technologies, which has limited their large-scale deployment. There is a need for new materials growth, processing and fabrication techniques to address this major shortcoming of III-V semiconductors. Chapters 2 and 3 explore growth of InP on non-epitaxial Mo substrates by MOCVD and CSS, respectively. The results from these studies demonstrate that InP optoelectronic quality is maintained even by growth on non-epitaxial metal substrates. Structural characterization by SEM and XRD show stoichiometric InP can be grown in complete thin films on Mo. Photoluminescence measurements show peak energies and widths to be similar to those of reference wafers of similar doping concentrations. In chapter 4 the TF-VLS growth technique is introduced and cells fabricated from InP produced by this technique are characterized. The TF-VLS method results in lateral grain sizes of >500 mum and exhibits superior optoelectronic quality. First generation devices using a n-TiO2 window layer along with p-type TF-VLS grown InP have reached ˜12.1% power conversion efficiency under 1 sun illumination with VOC of 692 mV, JSC of 26.9 mA/cm2, and FF of 65%. The cells are fabricated using all non-epitaxial processing. Optical measurements show the InP in these cells have the potential to support a higher VOC of ˜795 mV, which can be achieved by improved device design. Chapter 5 describes a cost analysis of a manufacturing process using an

  14. Optimized electrode coverage of membrane actuators based on epitaxial PZT thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, M D; Dekkers, M; Blank, D H A; Rijnders, G; Nazeer, H

    2013-01-01

    This research presents an optimization of piezoelectric membrane actuators by maximizing the actuator displacement. Membrane actuators based on epitaxial Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 thin films grown on all-oxide electrodes and buffer layers using silicon technology were fabricated. Electrode coverage was found to be an important factor in the actuation displacement of the piezoelectric membranes. The optimum electrode coverage for maximum displacement was theoretically determined to be 39%, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. Dependences of membrane displacement and optimum electrode coverage on membrane diameter and PZT-film/Si-device-layer thickness ratio have also been investigated. (paper)

  15. AC over-current test results of YBCO conductor for YBCO power transformer with fault current limiting function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomioka, A.; Otonari, T.; Ogata, T.; Iwakuma, M.; Okamoto, H.; Hayashi, H.; Iijima, Y.; Saito, T.; Gosho, Y.; Tanabe, K.; Izumi, T.; Shiohara, Y.

    2011-01-01

    The single-layer coils with a diameter of 250 mm and 12 turns were manufactured with YBCO tapes with a CuNi- or Cu-Tape. The AC over-current tests were carried out in subcooled liquid nitrogen at 66 K and 74 K to develop power transformers with current limiting function. The AC over-current was two to seven times larger than the I c of conductor and it was reduced to the same level of I c . The I c of model coils did not degrade. The test results showed the possibility of YBCO superconducting transformers with current limiting function. We are developing elemental technology for 66 kV/6.9 kV 20 MVA-class YBCO power transformer. The YBCO transformer is considered to have a possibility to stabilize the power system by improving function of fault current limiting. Current limiting behavior functions over critical current flows. There is a possibility that superconducting characteristic may be damaged due to increase in temperature of YBCO tapes. Therefore, we have taken a measure to combine YBCO tape with CuNi tape or Cu Tape. We manufactured model coils using these conductors and conducted the AC over-current tests. The test current was two to seven times larger than the I c of conductor and it was damped with time from its maximum value according to the generation of conductor resistance. We verified the effectiveness of current limiting characteristics. In these tests, the I c of model coil did not degrade. We consider this conductor to be able to withstand AC over-current with the function of current limiting.

  16. The magnetoresistance of YBCO/BZO composite superconductors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Malik, Bilal A. [Department of Physics, University of Kashmir, Srinagar- 190006 (India); Asokan, K. [Materials Science Division, Inter University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi -110067 (India); Ganesan, V; Singh, Durgesh [UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, Khandwa Road, Indore (MP) 452 001 (India); Malik, Manzoor A., E-mail: mmalik@kashmiruniversity.ac.in [Department of Physics, University of Kashmir, Srinagar- 190006 (India)

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • Limited addition of BZO in YBCO shows low resistive tailing behavior. • Limited addition of BZO in YBCO increases the activation energy of flux lines. • Vortex glass transition temperature increases with the limited addition of BZO. • Significant enhancement of H{sub C2}(0) is observed up to 4% BZO addition. - Abstract: We study the effect of addition of BaZrO{sub 3} (BZO) on normal and superconducting state of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-δ} (YBCO). We find that in general both room temperature and residual resistivity increase with the addition of BZO except at low concentration of BZO. The temperature dependence of resistivity in presence of magnetic field also shows less resistivity broadening in composites containing low concentration of BZO below transition temperature (T{sub C}). The zero temperature upper critical field (H{sub c2}(0)), estimated by using Werthamer, Helfand and Hohenberg theory and Ginzburg Landau theory, shows an increase by the finite addition of BZO in YBCO. Further, the activation energy (U{sub 0}) determined from Arrhenius plots and vortex glass transition temperature (T{sub g}) also increase with the limited addition of BZO. Such an enhancement in H{sub c2}(0), U{sub o} and T{sub g} has been attributed to the increase in grain connectivity of YBCO . We conclude that the limited addition of BZO in YBCO significantly improves its superconducting performance in magnetic environment.

  17. Strain induced room temperature ferromagnetism in epitaxial magnesium oxide thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jin, Zhenghe; Kim, Ki Wook [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States); Nori, Sudhakar; Lee, Yi-Fang; Narayan, Jagdish [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States); Kumar, D. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Carolina A & T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411 (United States); Wu, Fan [Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM), Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 (United States); Prater, J. T. [Materials Science Division, Army Research Office, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709 (United States)

    2015-10-28

    We report on the epitaxial growth and room-temperature ferromagnetic properties of MgO thin films deposited on hexagonal c-sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The epitaxial nature of the films has been confirmed by both θ-2θ and φ-scans of X-ray diffraction pattern. Even though bulk MgO is a nonmagnetic insulator, we have found that the MgO films exhibit ferromagnetism and hysteresis loops yielding a maximum saturation magnetization up to 17 emu/cc and large coercivity, H{sub c} = 1200 Oe. We have also found that the saturation magnetization gets enhanced and that the crystallization degraded with decreased growth temperature, suggesting that the origin of our magnetic coupling could be point defects manifested by the strain in the films. X-ray (θ-2θ) diffraction peak shift and strain analysis clearly support the presence of strain in films resulting from the presence of point defects. Based on careful investigations using secondary ion mass spectrometer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies, we have ruled out the possibility of the presence of any external magnetic impurities. We discuss the critical role of microstructural characteristics and associated strain on the physical properties of the MgO films and establish a correlation between defects and magnetic properties.

  18. YBCO coated conductors by reactive thermal co-evaporation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmatz, U.; Hoffmann, Ch.; Bauer, M.; Metzger, R.; Berberich, P.; Kinder, H. [Technische Univ. Muenchen, Garching (Germany). Physik-Department

    2001-12-01

    Coated tape conductors of YBCO require a deposition process allowing to obtain a high volume growth rate in order to produce long lengths of tape in a reasonable amount of time. We present our tape coating system where 15 parallel loops of travelling tape of 1 cm width can be coated simultaneously by reactive thermal co-evaporation. For high critical current densities, in-plane alignment of the YBCO film is necessary. Inclined substrate deposition (ISD) is a technique that allows to deposit in-plane oriented buffer layers suitable for YBCO growth at high deposition rates. We present results obtained for YBCO films grown on MgO-ISD buffer layers deposited by e-gun evaporation onto metallic tape substrates. (orig.)

  19. Epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7 films on rolled-textured metals for high temperature superconducting applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norton, D.P.; Park, C.; Prouteau, C.

    1998-04-01

    The epitaxial growth of high temperature superconducting (HTS) films on rolled-textured metal represents a viable approach for long-length superconducting tapes. Epitaxial, 0.5 microm thick YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) films with critical current densities, J c , greater than 1 MA/cm 2 have been realized on rolled-textured (001) Ni tapes with yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)/CeO 2 oxide buffer layers. This paper describes the synthesis using pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) of epitaxial oxide buffer layers on biaxially-textured metal that comprise the so-called rolling-assisted biaxially-textured substrates (RABiTs trademark). The properties of the buffer and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 films on rolled-textured Ni are discussed, with emphasis given to the crystallographic and microstructural properties that determine the superconducting properties of these multilayer structures

  20. Fabrication of fully epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions with a Co2MnSi thin film and a MgO tunnel barrier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kijima, H.; Ishikawa, T.; Marukame, T.; Matsuda, K.-I.; Uemura, T.; Yamamoto, M.

    2007-01-01

    Fully epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) were fabricated with a Co-based full-Heusler alloy Co 2 MnSi (CMS) thin film having the ordered L2 1 structure as a lower electrode, a MgO tunnel barrier, and a Co 50 Fe 50 upper electrode. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction patterns observed in situ for each layer in the MTJ layer structure during fabrication clearly indicated that all layers of the CMS lower electrode, MgO tunnel barrier, and Co 50 Fe 50 upper electrode grew epitaxially. The microfabricated fully epitaxial CMS/MgO/Co 50 Fe 50 MTJs demonstrated relatively high tunnel magnetoresistance ratios of 90% at room temperature and 192% at 4.2 K

  1. The elastic limit of vortex movement in superconducting thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doyle, R.A.; Kumar, D.; Pullan, P.; Gross, R.; Campbell, A.M.; Blamire, M.G.; Somekh, R.E.; Evetts, J.E.

    1993-01-01

    Here we report four point ac transport FD measurements on epitaxial YBCO films and also polycrystalline NbTa films. Considerable efforts have recently been put into investigating low T c systems (11) in order to model high Tc materials in which the pinning and other properties are less easily controlled by microstructural modification and in which the parameter values are less well known. Moreover no reports exist of the FD behaviour of low T c thin film systems. In the case of the YBCO films, the results will be seen to be able to be reconciled with IP effects due to the superconducting CuO layers. In the case of the NbTa films, the results are in agreement with extrinsic pinning expected from the columnar defects (grain boundaries) observed in microstructural (SEM) studies (11). The data on all samples suggests core pinning in both (high Κ) systems. Features in the FD curves of the YBCO system when the field is carefully applied parallel to the planes occur at distances corresponding to the interlayer spacing providing direct evidence for IP. The technique also offers the possibility of investigating the frequency dependence of the effect as well as looking for curvature in the FD response below the onset of dissipation in the resistive component. The former study should be able to separate resistive from hysteretic (Bean) type losses whereas the latter might expose information about the shape of the pinning wells in addition to their sizes. These are discussed briefly here but will form the basis of further more detailed study. It will be argued that the FD technique is a powerful approach for investigation of the mixed state, allowing information to be extracted which is unavailable from other techniques. (orig.)

  2. Tuning piezoelectric properties through epitaxy of La2Ti2O7 and related thin films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaspar, Tiffany C; Hong, Seungbum; Bowden, Mark E; Varga, Tamas; Yan, Pengfei; Wang, Chongmin; Spurgeon, Steven R; Comes, Ryan B; Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Henager, Charles H

    2018-02-14

    Current piezoelectric sensors and actuators are limited to operating temperatures less than ~200 °C due to the low Curie temperature of the piezoelectric material. Strengthening the piezoelectric coupling of high-temperature piezoelectric materials, such as La 2 Ti 2 O 7 (LTO), would allow sensors to operate across a broad temperature range. The crystalline orientation and piezoelectric coupling direction of LTO thin films can be controlled by epitaxial matching to SrTiO 3 (001), SrTiO 3 (110), and rutile TiO 2 (110) substrates via pulsed laser deposition. The structure and phase purity of the films are investigated by x-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy. Piezoresponse force microscopy is used to measure the in-plane and out-of-plane piezoelectric coupling in the films. The strength of the out-of-plane piezoelectric coupling can be increased when the piezoelectric direction is rotated partially out-of-plane via epitaxy. The strongest out-of-plane coupling is observed for LTO/STO(001). Deposition on TiO 2 (110) results in epitaxial La 2/3 TiO 3 , an orthorhombic perovskite of interest as a microwave dielectric material and an ion conductor. La 2/3 TiO 3 can be difficult to stabilize in bulk form, and epitaxial stabilization on TiO 2 (110) is a promising route to realize La 2/3 TiO 3 for both fundamental studies and device applications. Overall, these results confirm that control of the crystalline orientation of epitaxial LTO-based materials can govern the resulting functional properties.

  3. Photon confinement in high-efficiency, thin-film III-V solar cells obtained by epitaxial lift-off

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schermer, J.J.; Bauhuis, G.J.; Mulder, P.; Haverkamp, E.J.; Deelen, J. van; Niftrik, A.T.J. van; Larsen, P.K.

    2006-01-01

    Using the epitaxial lift-off (ELO) technique, a III-V device structure can be separated from its GaAs substrate by selective wet etching of a thin release layer. The thin-film structures obtained by the ELO process can be cemented or van der Waals bonded on arbitrary smooth surface carriers for further processing. It is shown that the ELO method, initially able to separate millimetre-sized GaAs layers with a lateral etch rate of about 1 mm/h, has been developed to a process capable to free the entire 2-in. epitaxial structures from their substrates with etch rates up to 30 mm/h. With these characteristics the method has a large potential for the production of high efficiency thin-film solar cells. By choosing the right deposition and ELO strategy, the thin-film III-V cells can be adequately processed on both sides allowing for an entire range of new cell structures. In the present work, the performance of semi-transparent bifacial solar cells, produced by the deposition of metal grid contacts on both sides, was evaluated. Reflection of light at the rear side of the bifacial GaAs solar cells was found to result in an enhanced collection probability of the photon-induced carriers compared to that of regular III-V cells on a GaAs substrate. To enhance this effect, thin-film GaAs cells with gold mirror back contacts were prepared. Even in their present premature stage of development, these single-junction thin-film cells reached a record efficiency of 24.5% which is already very close to the 24.9% efficiency that was obtained with a regular GaAs cell on a GaAs substrate. From this it could be concluded that, as a result of the photon confinement, ELO cells require a significantly thinner base layer than regular GaAs cells while at the same time they have the potential to reach a higher efficiency

  4. Formation of defect-fluorite structured NdNiOxHy epitaxial thin films via a soft chemical route from NdNiO3 precursors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onozuka, T; Chikamatsu, A; Katayama, T; Fukumura, T; Hasegawa, T

    2016-07-26

    A new phase of oxyhydride NdNiOxHy with a defect-fluorite structure was obtained by a soft chemical reaction of NdNiO3 epitaxial thin films on a substrate of SrTiO3 (100) with CaH2. The epitaxial relationship of this phase relative to SrTiO3 could be controlled by changing the reaction temperature. At 240 °C, NdNiOxHy grew with a [001] orientation, forming a thin layer of infinite-layer NdNiO2 at the interface between the NdNiOxHy and the substrate. Meanwhile, a high-temperature reaction at 400 °C formed [110]-oriented NdNiOxHy without NdNiO2.

  5. Surface chemistry and growth mechanisms studies of homo epitaxial (1 0 0) GaAs by laser molecular beam epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan Dawei; Wu Weidong; Zhang Hong; Wang Xuemin; Zhang Hongliang; Zhang Weibin; Xiong Zhengwei; Wang Yuying; Shen Changle; Peng Liping; Han Shangjun; Zhou Minjie

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, GaAs thin film has been deposited on thermally desorbed (1 0 0) GaAs substrate using laser molecular beam epitaxy. Scanning electron microscopy, in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction and in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are applied for evaluation of the surface morphology and chemistry during growth process. The results show that a high density of pits is formed on the surface of GaAs substrate after thermal treatment and the epitaxial thin film heals itself by a step flow growth, resulting in a smoother surface morphology. Moreover, it is found that the incorporation of As species into GaAs epilayer is more efficient in laser molecular beam epitaxy than conventional molecular beam epitaxy. We suggest the growth process is impacted by surface chemistry and morphology of GaAs substrate after thermal treatment and the growth mechanisms are discussed in details.

  6. Ultra-smooth epitaxial Ge grown on Si(001) utilizing a thin C-doped Ge buffer layer

    KAUST Repository

    Mantey, J.

    2013-01-01

    Here, we present work on epitaxial Ge films grown on a thin buffer layer of C doped Ge (Ge:C). The growth rate of Ge:C is found to slow over time and is thus unsuitable for thick (>20 nm) layers. We demonstrate Ge films from 10 nm to >150 nm are possible by growing pure Ge on a thin Ge:C buffer. It is shown that this stack yields exceedingly low roughness levels (comparable to bulk Si wafers) and contains fewer defects and higher Hall mobility compared to traditional heteroepitaxial Ge. The addition of C at the interface helps reduce strain by its smaller atomic radius and its ability to pin defects within the thin buffer layer that do not thread to the top Ge layer. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

  7. Low ac loss geometries in YBCO coated conductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duckworth, R.C.; List, F.A.; Paranthaman, M.P.; Rupich, M.W.; Zhang, W.; Xie, Y.Y.; Selvamanickam, V.

    2007-01-01

    Reduction of ac losses in applied ac fields can be accomplished through either the creation of filaments and bridging in YBCO coated conductors or by an assembly of narrow width YBCO tapes. The ac losses for each of these geometries were measured at 77 K in perpendicular ac fields up to 100 mT. Despite physical isolation of the filaments, coupling losses were still present in the samples when compared to the expected hysteretic loss. In addition to filamentary conductors the assembly of stacked YBCO conductor provides an alternative method of ac loss reduction. When compared to a 4-mm wide YBCO coated conductor with a critical current of 60 A, the ac loss in a stack of 2-mm wide YBCO coated conductors with a similar total critical current was reduced. While the reduction in ac loss in a 2-mm wide stack coincided with the reduction in the engineering current density of the conductor, further reduction of ac loss was obtained through the splicing of the 2-mm wide tapes with low resistance solders

  8. Low ac loss geometries in YBCO coated conductors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duckworth, R.C. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, P.O. Box 2008, MS-6305, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6305 (United States)], E-mail: duckworthrc@ornl.gov; List, F.A.; Paranthaman, M.P. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, P.O. Box 2008, MS-6305, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6305 (United States); Rupich, M.W.; Zhang, W. [American Superconductor, Two Technology Drive, Westborough, MA 01581 (United States); Xie, Y.Y.; Selvamanickam, V. [SuperPower, 450 Duane Ave, Schenectady, NY 12304 (United States)

    2007-10-01

    Reduction of ac losses in applied ac fields can be accomplished through either the creation of filaments and bridging in YBCO coated conductors or by an assembly of narrow width YBCO tapes. The ac losses for each of these geometries were measured at 77 K in perpendicular ac fields up to 100 mT. Despite physical isolation of the filaments, coupling losses were still present in the samples when compared to the expected hysteretic loss. In addition to filamentary conductors the assembly of stacked YBCO conductor provides an alternative method of ac loss reduction. When compared to a 4-mm wide YBCO coated conductor with a critical current of 60 A, the ac loss in a stack of 2-mm wide YBCO coated conductors with a similar total critical current was reduced. While the reduction in ac loss in a 2-mm wide stack coincided with the reduction in the engineering current density of the conductor, further reduction of ac loss was obtained through the splicing of the 2-mm wide tapes with low resistance solders.

  9. Strain dependent microstructural modifications of BiCrO{sub 3} epitaxial thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kannan, Vijayanandhini, E-mail: kvnandhini@gmail.com [Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle (Saale) (Germany); CNRS, University of Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F-33600 Pessac (France); Arredondo, Miryam; Johann, Florian; Hesse, Dietrich [Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle (Saale) (Germany); Labrugere, Christine [CNRS, University of Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F-33600 Pessac (France); CeCaMA, University of Bordeaux, ICMCB, F-33600 Pessac (France); Maglione, Mario [CNRS, University of Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F-33600 Pessac (France); Vrejoiu, Ionela [Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle (Saale) (Germany)

    2013-10-31

    Strain-dependent microstructural modifications were observed in epitaxial BiCrO{sub 3} (BCO) thin films fabricated on single crystalline substrates, utilizing pulsed laser deposition. The following conditions were employed to modify the epitaxial-strain: (i) in-plane tensile strain, BCO{sub STO} [BCO grown on buffered SrTiO{sub 3} (001)] and in-plane compressive strain, BCO{sub NGO} [BCO grown on buffered NdGaO{sub 3} (110)] and (ii) varying BCO film thickness. A combination of techniques like X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to analyse the epitaxial growth quality and the microstructure of BCO. Our studies revealed that in the case of BCO{sub STO}, a coherent interface with homogeneous orthorhombic phase is obtained only for BCO film with thicknesses, d < 50 nm. All the BCO{sub STO} films with d ≥ 50 nm were found to be strain-relaxed with an orthorhombic phase showing 1/2 <100> and 1/4 <101> satellite reflections, the latter oriented at 45° from orthorhombic diffraction spots. High angle annular dark field scanning TEM of these films strongly suggested that the satellite reflections, 1/2 <100> and 1/4 <101>, originate from the atomic stacking sequence changes (or “modulated structure”) as reported for polytypes, without altering the chemical composition. The unaltered stoichiometry was confirmed by estimating both valency of Bi and Cr cations by surface and in-depth XPS analysis as well as the stoichiometric ratio (1 Bi:1 Cr) using scanning TEM–energy dispersive X-ray analysis. In contrast, compressively strained BCO{sub NGO} films exhibited monoclinic symmetry without any structural modulations or interfacial defects, up to d ∼ 200 nm. Our results indicate that both the substrate-induced in-plane epitaxial strain and the BCO film thickness are the crucial parameters to stabilise a homogeneous BCO phase in an epitaxially grown film. - Highlights: • Phase pure

  10. Epitaxial solution deposition of YBa2Cu3O7-6 coated conductors.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Overmyer, Donald L.; Clem, Paul Gilbert; Siegal, Michael P.; Holesinger, Terry A. (Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM); Voigt, James A.; Richardson, Jacob J.; Dawley, Jeffrey Todd

    2004-11-01

    A variety of solution deposition routes have been reported for processing complex perovskite-based materials such as ferroelectric oxides and conductive electrode oxides, due to ease of incorporating multiple elements, control of chemical stoichiometry, and feasibility for large area deposition. Here, we report an extension of these methods toward long length, epitaxial film solution deposition routes to enable biaxially oriented YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}} (YBCO)-coated conductors for superconducting transmission wires. Recent results are presented detailing an all-solution deposition approach to YBCO-coated conductors with critical current densities J{sub c} (77 K) > 1 MA/cm{sup 2} on rolling-assisted, biaxially textured, (200)-oriented Ni-W alloy tapes. Solution-deposition methods such as this approach and those of other research groups appear to have promise to compete with vapor phase methods for superconductor electrical properties, with potential advantages for large area deposition and low cost/kA {center_dot} m of wire.

  11. Sm-doped CeO2 single buffer layer for YBCO coated conductors by polymer assisted chemical solution deposition (PACSD) method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, G.; Pu, M.H.; Sun, R.P.; Wang, W.T.; Wu, W.; Zhang, X.; Yang, Y.; Cheng, C.H.; Zhao, Y.

    2008-01-01

    An over 150 nm thick Sm 0.2 Ce 0.8 O 1.9-x (SCO) single buffer layer has been deposited on bi-axially textured NiW (2 0 0) alloy substrate. Highly in-plane and out-of-plane oriented, dense, smooth and crack free SCO single layer has been obtained via a polymer-assisted chemical solution deposition (PACSD) approach. YBCO thin film has been deposited equally via a PACSD route on the SCO-buffered NiW, the as grown YBCO yielding a sharp transition at T c0 = 87 K as well as J c (0 T, 77 K) ∼ 1 MA/cm 2 . These results indicates that RE (lanthanides other than Ce) doping may be an effective approach to improve the critical thickness of solution derived CeO 2 film, which renders it a promising candidate as single buffer layer for YBCO coated conductors

  12. Magnetoresistance at artificial interfaces in epitaxial ferromagnetic thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fontcuberta, J.; Bibes, M.; Martinez, B.; Trtik, V.; Ferrater, C.; Sanchez, F.; Varela, M.

    2000-01-01

    Epitaxial La 2/3 Sr 1/3 MnO 3 and SrRuO 3 thin films have been grown by laser ablation on single-crystalline SrTiO 3 substrates. Prior to manganite or ruthenate deposition tracks have been patterned on the SrTiO 3 substrate by using an appropriately focused laser beam. In the experiments here reported linear tracks have been formed. The magnetotransport properties of the films, particularly the magnetoresistance, along paths parallel and perpendicular to the track have been extensively investigated and compared to similar data recorded on films grown on bicrystalline STO substrates. Whereas in LSMO a significant low-field tunnel magnetoresistance develops across the artificial interface, in SRO this tunnel contribution is absent. However, a significant high-field magnetoresistance is observed for both metallic and ferromagnetic systems. The results are analysed and discussed within the framework of the current understanding of double exchange and itinerant ferromagnets. Magnetoresistance data for various configurations of the track array are presented

  13. Resistance switching in epitaxial SrCoO{sub x} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tambunan, Octolia T.; Parwanta, Kadek J.; Acharya, Susant K.; Lee, Bo Wha; Jung, Chang Uk, E-mail: cu-jung@hufs.ac.kr [Department of Physics, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yongin 449-791 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Yeon Soo; Park, Bae Ho [Division of Quantum Phases and Devices, Department of Physics, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-791 (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Huiseong; Park, Ji-Yong [Department of Physics and Division of Energy System Research, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Myung Rae; Park, Yun Daniel [Department of Physics and Astronomy and Center for Subwavelength Optics, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Woo Seok [Department of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Dong-Wook [Department of Physics, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 120-750 (Korea, Republic of); Jin, Hyunwoo; Lee, Suyoun [Electronic Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Song, Seul Ji; Kang, Sung-Jin; Kim, Miyoung; Hwang, Cheol Seong [Department of Material Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747 (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-08-11

    We observed bipolar switching behavior from an epitaxial strontium cobaltite film grown on a SrTiO{sub 3} (001) substrate. The crystal structure of strontium cobaltite has been known to undergo topotactic phase transformation between two distinct phases: insulating brownmillerite (SrCoO{sub 2.5}) and conducting perovskite (SrCoO{sub 3−δ}) depending on the oxygen content. The current–voltage characteristics of the strontium cobaltite film showed that it could have a reversible insulator-to-metal transition triggered by electrical bias voltage. We propose that the resistance switching in the SrCoO{sub x} thin film could be related to the topotactic phase transformation and the peculiar structure of SrCoO{sub 2.5}.

  14. Static and dynamic magnetization properties of Y1Ba2Cu3Oz thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sekula, S.T.

    1989-08-01

    Magnetization studies were carried out on Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O z (YBCO) thin films that were e-beam evaporated onto circular discs of single-crystal SrTiO 3 with (001) and (110) faces as well as KTaO 3 with (001) faces. The measurements were made using vibrating sample (VSM) and SQUID-based magnetometry with the applied field perpendicular to the substrate surface. Critical current densities J c (H,T) are deduced from the magnetic hysteresis. Flux creep effects are observed over longer periods with the SQUID magnetometer. Analysis of the results of low frequency response of these films to collinear ac and dc magnetic fields are compared with the dc magnetometry results. J c (H,T) is observed to be quite sensitive to the type of epitaxial growth on the various substrates. 16 refs., 10 figs

  15. Silicon epitaxy on textured double layer porous silicon by LPCVD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai Hong; Shen Honglie; Zhang Lei; Huang Haibin; Lu Linfeng; Tang Zhengxia; Shen Jiancang

    2010-01-01

    Epitaxial silicon thin film on textured double layer porous silicon (DLPS) was demonstrated. The textured DLPS was formed by electrochemical etching using two different current densities on the silicon wafer that are randomly textured with upright pyramids. Silicon thin films were then grown on the annealed DLPS, using low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). The reflectance of the DLPS and the grown silicon thin films were studied by a spectrophotometer. The crystallinity and topography of the grown silicon thin films were studied by Raman spectroscopy and SEM. The reflectance results show that the reflectance of the silicon wafer decreases from 24.7% to 11.7% after texturing, and after the deposition of silicon thin film the surface reflectance is about 13.8%. SEM images show that the epitaxial silicon film on textured DLPS exhibits random pyramids. The Raman spectrum peaks near 521 cm -1 have a width of 7.8 cm -1 , which reveals the high crystalline quality of the silicon epitaxy.

  16. Growth and properties of La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}/YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−δ}/La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} epitaxial trilayer films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sharma, Minaxi, E-mail: meenanith@gmail.com; Kumar, Arvind; Sharma, K. K. [Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur -177005 (India); Kumar, Ravi [Centre for Materials Science and Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur -177005 (India); Beant College of Engineering and Technology, Gurdaspur Punjab-143521 (India); Choudhary, R. J. [UGC-DAE-Consortium for Scientific Research, Khandwa Road, Indore-452001 (India)

    2015-08-28

    We report the growth and properties of La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}/YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−δ}/La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} LSMO/YBCO/LSMO epitaxial trilayer films, fabricated on SrTiO{sub 3} substrate using pulsed laser deposition technique. From x-ray diffraction and high resolution x-ray diffraction measurements, it is confirmed that the grown trilayered films are single phase and epitaxial in nature. Magneto-transport and magnetic properties are found to be dependent on the thickness of YBCO spacer layer. We infer that for fixed thickness of top and bottom LSMO layers, superconductivity is completely suppressed. At 100 K, the hysteresis loops reveal the ferromagnetic signature of trilayered film. At room temperature, we obtain a butterfly type scenario, signifies the co-existence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interaction. In addition, at room temperature, the YBCO spacer layer allowing the top and bottom LSMO layers to interact antiferromagnetically.

  17. Mode I type delamination fracture toughness of YBCO coated conductor with additional Cu layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyazato, T.; Hojo, M.; Sugano, M.; Adachi, T.; Inoue, Y.; Shikimachi, K.; Hirano, N.; Nagaya, S.

    2011-01-01

    A fracture toughness test method was developed for a YBCO coated conductor with an additional Cu layer. Mode I type tests were carried out using double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens. Delamination propagated into the YBCO layer, and sometimes reached the Ag/YBCO interface. The fracture toughness for YBCO was about 10 J/m 2 . That for Ag/YBCO interface was about 100 J/m 2 . Although interlaminar fracture at a YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO)/CeO 2 interface was reported for YBCO coated conductors, this has not yet been investigated by a fracture mechanical approach. In the present study, we developed a mode I type fracture toughness test method for a YBCO coated conductor with an additional Cu layer using double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens. Fracture mechanism was investigated by microscopic observation by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), together with composition analysis by an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDS). A pre-crack introduced at the YBCO/CeO 2 interface deviated from the interface, and propagated into the YBCO layer, and sometimes reached the Ag/YBCO interface. The fracture toughness, G R , for YBCO and the Ag/YBCO interface was evaluated to be 7-10 J/m 2 and 80-120 J/m 2 , respectively. The complex stress intensity factor ratio, K 2 /K 1 , at YBCO/CeO 2 interface was evaluated to be -0.19, and this ratio controlled the formation of microcracks in the YBCO layer. The main crack propagated into the YBCO layer accompanied with the formation of microcracks.

  18. Unsaturated magnetoconductance of epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films in pulsed magnetic fields up to 60 T

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Niu

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available We report on the temperature and field dependence of resistance of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films over a wide temperature range and in pulsed magnetic fields up to 60 T. The epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films were deposited by laser molecular beam epitaxy. High magnetic field magnetoresistance curves were fitted by the Brillouin function, which indicated the existence of magnetically polarized regions and the underlying hopping mechanism. The unsaturated magnetoconductance was the most striking finding observed in pulsed magnetic fields up to 60 T. These observations can deepen the fundamental understanding of the colossal magnetoresistance in manganites with strong correlation of transport properties and magnetic ordering.

  19. Topotactic Metal-Insulator Transition in Epitaxial SrFeOx Thin Films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khare, Amit; Shin, Dongwon; Yoo, Tae Sup; Kim, Minu; Kang, Tae Dong; Lee, Jaekwang; Roh, Seulki; Jung, In-Ho; Hwang, Jungseek; Kim, Sung Wng; Noh, Tae Won; Ohta, Hiromichi; Choi, Woo Seok

    2017-10-01

    Topotactic phase transformation enables structural transition without losing the crystalline symmetry of the parental phase and provides an effective platform for elucidating the redox reaction and oxygen diffusion within transition metal oxides. In addition, it enables tuning of the emergent physical properties of complex oxides, through strong interaction between the lattice and electronic degrees of freedom. In this communication, the electronic structure evolution of SrFeO x epitaxial thin films is identified in real-time, during the progress of reversible topotactic phase transformation. Using real-time optical spectroscopy, the phase transition between the two structurally distinct phases (i.e., brownmillerite and perovskite) is quantitatively monitored, and a pressure-temperature phase diagram of the topotactic transformation is constructed for the first time. The transformation at relatively low temperatures is attributed to a markedly small difference in Gibbs free energy compared to the known similar class of materials to date. This study highlights the phase stability and reversibility of SrFeO x thin films, which is highly relevant for energy and environmental applications exploiting the redox reactions. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Effect of Y2O3 Nanoparticles on Critical Current Density of YBa2Cu3O7-x Thin Films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tran, H. D.; Reddy, Sreekantha; Wie, C. H.; Kang, B.; Oh, Sang Jun; Lee, Sung Ik

    2009-01-01

    Introduction of proper impurity into YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) thin films is an effective way to enhance its flux-pinning properties. We investigate effect of Y 2 O 3 nanoparticles on the critical current density J c of the YBCO thin films. The Y 2 O 3 nanoparticles were created perpendicular to the film surface (parallel with the c-axis) either between YBCO and substrate or on top of YBCO, YBCO/Y 2 O 3 /LAO or Y 2 O 3 /YBCO/STO, by pulsed laser deposition. The deposition temperature of the YBCO films were varied (780 degree C and 800 degree C) to modify surface morphology of the YBCO films. Surface morphology characterization revealed that the lower deposition temperature of 780 degree C created nano-sized holes on the YBCO film surface which may behave as intrinsic pinning centers, while the higher deposition temperature produced much denser and smoother surface. J-c values of the YBCO films with Y 2 O 3 particles were either remained nearly the same or decreased for the samples in which YBCO is grown at 780 degree C. On the other hand, J-c values were enhanced for the samples in which YBCO is grown at higher temperature of 800 degree C. The difference in the effect of Y 2 O 3 can be explained by the fact that the higher deposition temperature of 800 degree C reduces intrinsic pinning centers and J c is enhanced by introduction of artificial pinning centers in the form of Y 2 O 3 nanoparticles.

  1. In-plane microwave dielectric properties of paraelectric barium strontium titanate thin films with anisotropic epitaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, W. K.; Akdogan, E. K.; Safari, A.; Bellotti, J. A.

    2005-08-01

    In-plane dielectric properties of ⟨110⟩ oriented epitaxial (Ba0.60Sr0.40)TiO3 thin films in the thickness range from 25-1200nm have been investigated under the influence of anisotropic epitaxial strains from ⟨100⟩ NdGaO3 substrates. The measured dielectric properties show strong residual strain and in-plane directional dependence. Below 150nm film thickness, there appears to be a phase transition due to the anisotropic nature of the misfit strain relaxation. In-plane relative permittivity is found to vary from as much as 500-150 along [11¯0] and [001] respectively, in 600nm thick films, and from 75 to 500 overall. Tunability was found to vary from as much as 54% to 20% in all films and directions, and in a given film the best tunability is observed along the compressed axis in a mixed strain state, 54% along [11¯0] in the 600nm film for example.

  2. Chemical solution synthesis and ferromagnetic resonance of epitaxial thin films of yttrium iron garnet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucas, Irene; Jiménez-Cavero, Pilar; Vila-Fungueiriño, J. M.; Magén, Cesar; Sangiao, Soraya; de Teresa, José Maria; Morellón, Luis; Rivadulla, Francisco

    2017-12-01

    We report the fabrication of epitaxial Y3F e5O12 (YIG) thin films on G d3G a5O12 (111) using a chemical solution method. Cubic YIG is a ferrimagnetic material at room temperature, with excellent magneto-optical properties, high electrical resistivity, and a very narrow ferromagnetic resonance, which makes it particularly suitable for applications in filters and resonators at microwave frequencies. But these properties depend on the precise stoichiometry and distribution of F e3 + ions among the octahedral/tetrahedral sites of a complex structure, which hampered the production of high-quality YIG thin films by affordable chemical methods. Here we report the chemical solution synthesis of YIG thin films, with excellent chemical, crystalline, and magnetic homogeneity. The films show a very narrow ferromagnetic resonance (long spin relaxation time), comparable to that obtained from high-vacuum physical deposition methods. These results demonstrate that chemical methods can compete to develop nanometer-thick YIG films with the quality required for spintronic devices and other high-frequency applications.

  3. Molecular-Beam Epitaxially Grown MgB2 Thin Films and Superconducting Tunnel Junctions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Baptiste Laloë

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Since the discovery of its superconducting properties in 2001, magnesium diboride has generated terrific scientific and engineering research interest around the world. With a of 39 K and two superconducting gaps, MgB2 has great promise from the fundamental point of view, as well as immediate applications. Several techniques for thin film deposition and heterojunction formation have been established, each with its own advantages and drawbacks. Here, we will present a brief overview of research based on MgB2 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy coevaporation of Mg and B. The films are smooth and highly crystalline, and the technique allows for virtually any heterostructure to be formed, including all-MgB2 tunnel junctions. Such devices have been characterized, with both quasiparticle and Josephson tunneling reported. MgB2 remains a material of great potential for a multitude of further characterization and exploration research projects and applications.

  4. Wet chemical deposition of single crystalline epitaxial manganite thin films with atomically flat surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mishra, Amita; Dutta, Anirban; Samaddar, Sayanti; Gupta, Anjan K.

    2013-01-01

    We report the wet chemical deposition of single crystalline epitaxial thin films of the colossal magneto-resistive manganite La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 on the lattice-matched (001)-face of a La 0.3 Sr 0.7 Al 0.65 Ta 0.35 O 3 substrate. Topographic images of these films taken with a scanning tunneling microscope show atomically flat terraces separated by steps of monatomic height. The resistivity of these films shows an insulator-metal transition at 310 K, nearly coincident with the Curie temperature of 340 K, found from magnetization measurements. The films show a magnetoresistance of 7% at 300 K and 1.2 T. Their saturation magnetization value at low temperatures is consistent with that of the bulk. - Highlights: ► Wet chemical deposition of La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 (LSMO) on a lattice-matched substrate. ► Single crystalline epitaxial LSMO films obtained. ► Flat terraces separated by monatomic steps observed by scanning tunneling microscope

  5. Vacancy defects in epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films probed by a slow positron beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jin, S W; Zhou, X Y; Wu, W B; Zhu, C F; Weng, H M; Wang, H Y; Zhang, X F; Ye, B J; Han, R D

    2004-01-01

    Vacancy defects in epitaxial La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 (LSMO) thin films on LaAlO 3 substrates were detected using a variable energy positron beam. The line-shape S parameter of the epitaxial thin films deposited at different oxygen pressures was measured as a function of the implanting positron energy E. Our results show that the S parameter of the films changes non-monotonically with their deposition oxygen pressures. For the films deposited at lower oxygen pressures, the increase in S value in the films is attributed to the increase in oxygen vacancies and/or related defect-V O complexes, and for those deposited at higher oxygen pressures, the larger S parameter of the films is caused by the grain boundaries and/or metallic ion vacancies. The surface morphology of the films was also characterized to analyse the open volume defects in the LSMO films

  6. Growth of pseudomorphic structures through organic epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaviyil, Sreejith Embekkat; Sassella, Adele; Borghesi, Alessandro; Campione, Marcello; Su Genbo; He Youping; Chen Chenjia

    2012-01-01

    The control of molecular orientation in thin solid film phases of organic semiconductors is a basic factor for the exploitation of their physical properties for optoelectronic devices. We compare structural and optical properties of thin films of the organic semiconductor α-quarterthiophene grown by molecular beam epitaxy on different organic substrates. We show how epitactic interactions, characteristic of the surface of organic crystals, can drive the orientation of the crystalline overlayer and the selection of specific polymorphs and new pseudomorphic phases. We identify a key role in this phenomenon played by the marked groove-like corrugations present in some organic crystal surfaces. Since different polymorphs possess rather different performance in terms of, e.g., charge carrier mobility, this strategy is demonstrated to allow for the growth of oriented phases with enhanced physical properties, while keeping the substrate at room temperature. These results provide useful guidelines for the design of technological substrates for organic epitaxy and they substantiate the adoption of an organic epitaxy approach for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices based on thin films of organic semiconductors.

  7. Ambiguous Role of Growth-Induced Defects on the Semiconductor-to-Metal Characteristics in Epitaxial VO2/TiO2 Thin Films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mihailescu, Cristian N; Symeou, Elli; Svoukis, Efthymios; Negrea, Raluca F; Ghica, Corneliu; Teodorescu, Valentin; Tanase, Liviu C; Negrila, Catalin; Giapintzakis, John

    2018-04-25

    Controlling the semiconductor-to-metal transition temperature in epitaxial VO 2 thin films remains an unresolved question both at the fundamental as well as the application level. Within the scope of this work, the effects of growth temperature on the structure, chemical composition, interface coherency and electrical characteristics of rutile VO 2 epitaxial thin films grown on TiO 2 substrates are investigated. It is hereby deduced that the transition temperature is lower than the bulk value of 340 K. However, it is found to approach this value as a function of increased growth temperature even though it is accompanied by a contraction along the V 4+ -V 4+ bond direction, the crystallographic c-axis lattice parameter. Additionally, it is demonstrated that films grown at low substrate temperatures exhibit a relaxed state and a strongly reduced transition temperature. It is suggested that, besides thermal and epitaxial strain, growth-induced defects may strongly affect the electronic phase transition. The results of this work reveal the difficulty in extracting the intrinsic material response to strain, when the exact contribution of all strain sources cannot be effectively determined. The findings also bear implications on the limitations in obtaining the recently predicted novel semi-Dirac point phase in VO 2 /TiO 2 multilayer structures.

  8. Epitaxial growth of YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films on LiNbO3 substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, S.G.; Koren, G.; Gupta, A.; Segmuller, A.; Chi, C.C.

    1989-01-01

    In situ epitaxial growth of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ thin films on Y-cut LiNbO 3 substrates using a standard laser ablation technique is reported. Resistance of the films shows a normal metallic behavior and a very sharp ( c (R=0) of 92 K. High critical current density of J c (77 K)=2x10 5 A/cm 2 is observed, which is in accordance with epitaxial growth. Film orientation observed from x-ray diffraction spectra indicates that the c axis is normal to the substrate plane and the a axis is at 45 degree to the [11.0] direction of the hexagonal lattice of the substrate with two domains in mirror image to the (110) plane

  9. Growth of epitaxial Pt thin films on (0 0 1) SrTiO{sub 3} by rf magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kahsay, A. [Departament de Física Aplicada i Òptica, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Polo, M.C., E-mail: mcpolo@ub.edu [Departament de Física Aplicada i Òptica, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Ferrater, C.; Ventura, J. [Departament de Física Aplicada i Òptica, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Rebled, J.M. [Departament d’Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia IN 2UB, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Varela, M. [Departament de Física Aplicada i Òptica, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)

    2014-07-01

    The growth of platinum thin film by rf magnetron sputtering on SrTiO{sub 3}(0 0 1) substrates for oxide based devices was investigated. Platinum films grown at temperatures higher than 750 °C were epitaxial ([1 0 0]Pt(0 0 1)//[1 0 0]STO(0 0 1)), whereas at lower temperatures Pt(1 1 1) films were obtained. The surface morphology of the Pt films showed a strong dependence on the deposition temperature as was revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). At elevated temperatures there is a three-dimensional (3D) growth of rectangular atomically flat islands with deep boundaries between them. On the other hand, at low deposition temperatures, a two-dimensional (2D) layered growth was observed. The transition from 2D to 3D growth modes was observed that occurs for temperatures around 450 °C. The obtained epitaxial thin films also formed an atomically sharp interface with the SrTiO{sub 3}(0 0 1) substrate as confirmed by HRTEM.

  10. Low-temperature liquid-phase epitaxy and optical waveguiding of rare-earth-ion-doped KY(WO4)2 thin layers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Romanyuk, Y.E.; Utke, I.; Ehrentraut, D.; Apostolopoulos, V.; Pollnau, Markus; Garcia-Revilla, S.; Valiente, B.

    2004-01-01

    Crystalline $KY(WO_{4})_{2}$ thin layers doped with different rare-earth ions were grown on b-oriented, undoped $KY(WO_{4})_{2}$ substrates by liquid-phase epitaxy employing a low-temperature flux. The ternary chloride mixture of NaCl, KCl, and CsCl with a melting point of 480°C was used as a

  11. YBCO/manganite layered structures on NdGaO3 substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nurgaliev, T; Blagoev, B; Donchev, T; Miteva, S; Mozhaev, P B; Mozhaeva, J E; Ovsyannikov, G A; Kotelyanskii, I M; Jacobsen, C

    2006-01-01

    Results of deposition of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x /CeO 2 /(La 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 or La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 ) structures on the standard oriented and tilted ( 8 0 ) NdGaO 3 substrates and results of investigation of electrical parameters of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) films in such structures are presented. The YBCO component of the structure exhibits lower value of the critical parameters in comparison with those of single YBCO films. The contribution of the magnetic layer to the microwave losses of the YBCO film in the layered structure is evaluated

  12. Transport AC losses in YBCO coated conductors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Majoros, M [Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Ye, L [IRC in Superconductivity, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HE (United Kingdom); Velichko, A V [IRC in Superconductivity, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HE (United Kingdom); Coombs, T A [IRC in Superconductivity, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HE (United Kingdom); Sumption, M D [Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Collings, E W [Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)

    2007-09-15

    Transport AC loss measurements have been made on YBCO-coated conductors prepared on two different substrate templates-RABiTS (rolling-assisted biaxially textured substrate) and IBAD (ion-beam-assisted deposition). RABiTS samples show higher losses compared with the theoretical values obtained from the critical state model, with constant critical current density, at currents lower than the critical current. An origin of this extra AC loss was demonstrated experimentally by comparison of the AC loss of two samples with different I-V curves. Despite a difference in I-V curves and in the critical currents, their measured losses, as well as the normalized losses, were practically the same. However, the functional dependence of the losses was affected by the ferromagnetic substrate. An influence of the presence of a ferromagnetic substrate on transport AC losses in YBCO film was calculated numerically by the finite element method. The presence of a ferromagnetic substrate increases transport AC losses in YBCO films depending on its relative magnetic permeability. The two loss contributions-transport AC loss in YBCO films and ferromagnetic loss in the substrate-cannot be considered as mutually independent.

  13. Laser energy tuning of carrier effective mass and thermopower in epitaxial oxide thin films

    KAUST Repository

    Abutaha, Anas I.

    2012-04-18

    The effect of the laser fluence on high temperature thermoelectric properties of the La doped SrTiO3 (SLTO) thin films epitaxially grown on LaAlO3 〈100〉 substrates by pulsed laser deposition is clarified. It is shown that oxygen vacancies that influence the effective mass of carriers in SLTO films can be tuned by varying the laser energy. The highest power factor of 0.433 W K−1 m−1 has been achieved at 636 K for a filmdeposited using the highest laser fluence of 7 J cm−2 pulse−1.

  14. YBa2Cu3O7-δ/NdBa2(Cu1-xNix)3O7-δ double layers by liquid-phase epitaxial growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yao, X.; Izumi, Toru; Hobara, Natsuro; Nakamura, Yuichi; Izumi, Teruo; Shiohara, Yuh

    2001-01-01

    Our present investigation has answered questions pertaining to the REBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (RE123, RE=rare-earth elements)-coated conductor application when NdBa 2 (Cu 1-x Ni x ) 3 O 7-δ (Ni-NdBCO) solid solution is used as a buffer layer by the liquid-phase epitaxy(LPE) process. The NiO/Ni substrate has no substantial reaction in the Ni-saturated Nd-Ba-Cu-O liquid. There is no essential Ni interdiffusion between YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO) and Ni-NdBCO LPE thick films as evident from T c values of 90 K obtained from multilayer YBCO/Ni-NdBCO samples. (author)

  15. Sm-doped CeO{sub 2} single buffer layer for YBCO coated conductors by polymer assisted chemical solution deposition (PACSD) method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, G.; Pu, M.H.; Sun, R.P.; Wang, W.T.; Wu, W.; Zhang, X.; Yang, Y. [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation Technologies and Maglev Trains (Ministry of Education of China), Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Cheng, C.H. [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation Technologies and Maglev Trains (Ministry of Education of China), Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052 NSW (Australia); Zhao, Y. [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation Technologies and Maglev Trains (Ministry of Education of China), Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052 NSW (Australia)], E-mail: yzhao@home.swjtu.edu.cn

    2008-10-20

    An over 150 nm thick Sm{sub 0.2}Ce{sub 0.8}O{sub 1.9-x} (SCO) single buffer layer has been deposited on bi-axially textured NiW (2 0 0) alloy substrate. Highly in-plane and out-of-plane oriented, dense, smooth and crack free SCO single layer has been obtained via a polymer-assisted chemical solution deposition (PACSD) approach. YBCO thin film has been deposited equally via a PACSD route on the SCO-buffered NiW, the as grown YBCO yielding a sharp transition at T{sub c0} = 87 K as well as J{sub c}(0 T, 77 K) {approx} 1 MA/cm{sup 2}. These results indicates that RE (lanthanides other than Ce) doping may be an effective approach to improve the critical thickness of solution derived CeO{sub 2} film, which renders it a promising candidate as single buffer layer for YBCO coated conductors.

  16. Polarized Raman scattering study of PSN single crystals and epitaxial thin films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Pokorný

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a detailed analysis of the dependence of Raman scattering intensity on the polarization of the incident and inelastically scattered light in PbSc0.5Nb0.5O3 (PSN single crystals and epitaxially compressed thin films grown on (100-oriented MgO substrates. It is found that there are significant differences between the properties of the crystals and films, and that these differences can be attributed to the anticipated structural differences between these two forms of the same material. In particular, the scattering characteristics of the oxygen octahedra breathing mode near 810 cm-1 indicate a ferroelectric state for the crystals and a relaxor state for the films, which is consistent with the dielectric behaviors of these materials.

  17. High efficiency thin film solar cells grown by molecular beam epitaxy (HEFTY)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mason, N.B.; Barnham, K.W.J.; Ballard, I.M.; Zhang, J. [Imperial College, London (United Kingdom)

    2006-05-04

    The project sought to show the UK as a world leader in the field of thin film crystalline solar cells. A premise was that the cell design be suitable for large-scale manufacturing and provide a basis for industrial exploitation. The study demonstrated (1) that silicon films grown at temperatures suitable for deposition on glass by Gas Phase Molecular Beam Epitaxy gives better PV cells than does Ultra Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition; (2) a conversion energy of 15 per cent was achieved - the project target was 18 per cent and (3) one of the highest reported conversion efficiencies for a 15 micrometre silicon film was achieved. The study was carried out by BP Solar Limited under contract to the DTI.

  18. BaF2 POST-DEPOSITION REACTION PROCESS FOR THICK YBCO FILMS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    SUENAGA, M.; SOLOVYOV, V.F.; WU, L.; WIESMANN, H.J.; ZHU, Y.

    2001-01-01

    The basic processes of the so-called BaF 2 process for the formation of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 , YBCO, films as well as its advantages over the in situ formation processes are discussed in the previous chapter. The process and the properties of YBCO films by this process were also nicely described in earlier articles by R. Feenstra, (et al.) Here, we will discuss two pertinent subjects related to fabrication of technologically viable YBCO conductors using this process. These are (1) the growth of thick (>> 1 microm) c-axis-oriented YBCO films and (2) their growth rates. Before the detail discussions of these subjects are given, we first briefly discuss what geometrical structure a YBCO-coated conductor should be. Then, we will provide examples of simple arguments for how thick the YBCO films and how fast their growth rates need to be. Then, the discussions in the following two sections are devoted to: (1) the present understanding of the nucleation and the growth process for YBCO, and why it is so difficult to grow thick c-axis-oriented films (> 3 microm), and (2) our present understanding of the YBCO growth-limiting mechanism and methods to increase the growth rates. The values of critical-current densities J c in these films are of primary importance for the applications,. and the above two subjects are intimately related to the control of J c of the films. In general, the lower the temperatures of the YBCO formation are the higher the values of J c of the films. Thus, the present discussion is limited to those films which are reacted at ∼735 C. This is the lowest temperature at which c-axis-oriented YBCO films (1-3 microm thick) are comfortably grown. It is also well known that the non-c-axis oriented YBCO platelets are extremely detrimental to the values of J c such that their effects on J c dwarf essentially all of other microstructural effects which control J c . Hence, the discussion given below is mainly focused on how to avoid the growth of these crystallites

  19. Development of an YBCO coil with SSTC conductors for high field application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Y.; Liu, H. J.; Liu, F.; Tan, Y. F.; Jin, H.; Yu, M.; Lei, L.; Guo, L.; Hong, Z. Y.

    2018-07-01

    With the continuous reduction of the production costs and improvement of the transport performance, YBCO coated conductor is the most promising candidate for the high field magnet application due to its high irreversibility field and strong mechanical properties. Presently a stable production capacity of the YBCO conductors has been achieved by Shanghai Superconducting Technology Co., Ltd (SSTC) in China. Therefore, the demand in high field application with YBCO conductors is growing in China. This paper describes the design, fabrication and preliminary experiment of a solenoid coil with YBCO conductors supplied by SSTC to validate the possibility of high field application. Four same double pancakes were manufactured and assembled for the YBCO coil where the outer diameter and height was 54.3 and 48 mm respectively to match the dimensional limitation of the 14 T background magnets. The critical current (Ic) of YBCO conductors was obtained by measuring as a function of the applied field perpendicular to the YBCO conductor surface which provides the necessary input parameters for preliminary performance evaluation of the coil. Finally the preliminary test and discussion at 77 and 4.2 K were carried out. The consistency of four double pancakes Ic was achieved. The measured results indicate that the fabrication technology of HTS coil is reliable which gives the conference for the in-field test in high field application. This YBCO coil is the first demonstration of the SSTC YBCO coated conductors.

  20. Structural analysis of LaVO3 thin films under epitaxial strain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Meley

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Rare earth vanadate perovskites exhibit a phase diagram in which two different types of structural distortions coexist: the strongest, the rotation of the oxygen octahedra, comes from the small tolerance factor of the perovskite cell (t = 0.88 for LaVO3 and the smaller one comes from inter-site d-orbital interactions manifesting as a cooperative Jahn-Teller effect. Epitaxial strain acts on octahedral rotations and crystal field symmetry to alter this complex lattice-orbit coupling. In this study, LaVO3 thin film structures have been investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The analysis shows two different orientations of octahedral tilt patterns, as well as two distinct temperature behaviors, for compressive and tensile film strain states. Ab initio calculations capture the strain effect on the tilt pattern orientation in agreement with experimental data.

  1. Thermally actuated magnetization flux pump in single-grain YBCO bulk

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yan Yu; Li Quan; Coombs, T A, E-mail: yy300@cam.ac.u, E-mail: ql229@cam.ac.u, E-mail: tac1000@cam.ac.u [EPEC Superconductivity Group, Electrical Engineering Department, Cambridge University, 9 J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA (United Kingdom)

    2009-10-15

    Recent progress in material processing has proved that high temperature superconductors (HTS) have a great potential to trap large magnetic fields at cryogenic temperatures. For example, HTS are widely used in MRI scanners and in magnetic bearings. However, using traditional ways to magnetize, the YBCO will always need the applied field to be as high as the expected field on the superconductor or much higher than it, leading to a much higher cost than that of using permanent magnets. In this paper, we find a method of YBCO magnetization in liquid nitrogen that only requires the applied field to be at the level of a permanent magnet. Moreover, rather than applying a pulsed high current field on the YBCO, we use a thermally actuated material (gadolinium) as an intermedia and create a travelling magnetic field through it by changing the partial temperature so that the partial permeability is changed to build up the magnetization of the YBCO gradually after multiple pumps. The gadolinium bulk is located between the YBCO and the permanent magnet and is heated and cooled repeatedly from the outer surface to generate a travelling thermal wave inwards. In the subsequent experiment, an obvious accumulation of the flux density is detected on the surface of the YBCO bulk.

  2. Thermally actuated magnetization flux pump in single-grain YBCO bulk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan Yu; Li Quan; Coombs, T A

    2009-01-01

    Recent progress in material processing has proved that high temperature superconductors (HTS) have a great potential to trap large magnetic fields at cryogenic temperatures. For example, HTS are widely used in MRI scanners and in magnetic bearings. However, using traditional ways to magnetize, the YBCO will always need the applied field to be as high as the expected field on the superconductor or much higher than it, leading to a much higher cost than that of using permanent magnets. In this paper, we find a method of YBCO magnetization in liquid nitrogen that only requires the applied field to be at the level of a permanent magnet. Moreover, rather than applying a pulsed high current field on the YBCO, we use a thermally actuated material (gadolinium) as an intermedia and create a travelling magnetic field through it by changing the partial temperature so that the partial permeability is changed to build up the magnetization of the YBCO gradually after multiple pumps. The gadolinium bulk is located between the YBCO and the permanent magnet and is heated and cooled repeatedly from the outer surface to generate a travelling thermal wave inwards. In the subsequent experiment, an obvious accumulation of the flux density is detected on the surface of the YBCO bulk.

  3. Growth and characterization of III-N ternary thin films by plasma assisted atomic layer epitaxy at low temperatures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nepal, Neeraj; Anderson, Virginia R.; Hite, Jennifer K.; Eddy, Charles R.

    2015-08-31

    We report the growth and characterization of III-nitride ternary thin films (Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}N, In{sub x}Al{sub 1−x}N and In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}N) at ≤ 500 °C by plasma assisted atomic layer epitaxy (PA-ALE) over a wide stoichiometric range including the range where phase separation has been an issue for films grown by molecular beam epitaxy and metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The composition of these ternaries was intentionally varied through alterations in the cycle ratios of the III-nitride binary layers (AlN, GaN, and InN). By this digital alloy growth method, we are able to grow III-nitride ternaries by PA-ALE over nearly the entire stoichiometry range including in the spinodal decomposition region (x = 15–85%). These early efforts suggest great promise of PA-ALE at low temperatures for addressing miscibility gap challenges encountered with conventional growth methods and realizing high performance optoelectronic and electronic devices involving ternary/binary heterojunctions, which are not currently possible. - Highlights: • III-N ternaries grown at ≤ 500 °C by plasma assisted atomic layer epitaxy • Growth of InGaN and AlInN in the spinodal decomposition region (15–85%) • Epitaxial, smooth and uniform III-N film growth at low temperatures.

  4. Growth and characterization of III-N ternary thin films by plasma assisted atomic layer epitaxy at low temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nepal, Neeraj; Anderson, Virginia R.; Hite, Jennifer K.; Eddy, Charles R.

    2015-01-01

    We report the growth and characterization of III-nitride ternary thin films (Al x Ga 1−x N, In x Al 1−x N and In x Ga 1−x N) at ≤ 500 °C by plasma assisted atomic layer epitaxy (PA-ALE) over a wide stoichiometric range including the range where phase separation has been an issue for films grown by molecular beam epitaxy and metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The composition of these ternaries was intentionally varied through alterations in the cycle ratios of the III-nitride binary layers (AlN, GaN, and InN). By this digital alloy growth method, we are able to grow III-nitride ternaries by PA-ALE over nearly the entire stoichiometry range including in the spinodal decomposition region (x = 15–85%). These early efforts suggest great promise of PA-ALE at low temperatures for addressing miscibility gap challenges encountered with conventional growth methods and realizing high performance optoelectronic and electronic devices involving ternary/binary heterojunctions, which are not currently possible. - Highlights: • III-N ternaries grown at ≤ 500 °C by plasma assisted atomic layer epitaxy • Growth of InGaN and AlInN in the spinodal decomposition region (15–85%) • Epitaxial, smooth and uniform III-N film growth at low temperatures

  5. Direct Demonstration of the Emergent Magnetism Resulting from the Multivalence Mn in a LaMnO3 Epitaxial Thin Film System

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Niu, Wei; Liu, Wenqing; Gu, Min

    2018-01-01

    that play a decisive role in the emergence of ferromagnetism in the otherwise antiferromagnetic LaMnO3 thin films are found. Combining spatially resolved electron energy‐loss spectroscopy, X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, and X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism techniques, it is determined unambiguously...... provide a hitherto‐unexplored multivalence state of Mn on the emergent magnetism in undoped manganite epitaxial thin films, such as LaMnO3 and BiMnO3, and shed new light on all‐oxide spintronic devices....

  6. Tuning of Transport and Magnetic Properties in Epitaxial LaMnO3+δ Thin Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Chen

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The effect of compressive strain on the transport and magnetic properties of epitaxial LaMnO3+δ thin films has been investigated. It is found that the transport and magnetic properties of the LaMnO3+δ thin films grown on the LaAlO3 substrates can be tuned by the compressive strain through varying film thickness. And the insulator-metal transition, charge/orbital ordering transition, and paramagnetic-ferromagnetic transition are suppressed by the compressive strain. Consequently, the related electronic and magnetic transition temperatures decrease with an increase in the compressive strain. The present results can be explained by the strain-controlled lattice deformation and the consequent orbital occupation. It indicates that the lattice degree of freedom is crucial for understanding the transport and magnetic properties of the strongly correlated LaMnO3+δ.

  7. Synthesis and electronic properties of Fe2TiO5 epitaxial thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osada, Motoki; Nishio, Kazunori; Hwang, Harold Y.; Hikita, Yasuyuki

    2018-05-01

    We investigate the growth phase diagram of pseudobrookite Fe2TiO5 epitaxial thin films on LaAlO3 (001) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Control of the oxygen partial pressure and temperature during deposition enabled selective stabilization of (100)- and (230)-oriented films. In this regime, we find an optical gap of 2.1 eV and room temperature resistivity in the range of 20-80 Ω cm, which are significantly lower than α-Fe2O3, making Fe2TiO5 potentially an ideal inexpensive visible-light harvesting semiconductor. These results provide a basis to incorporate Fe2TiO5 in oxide heterostructures for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical applications.

  8. Prospects for enhancement of critical current of HTSC: thin films with artificial pinning centres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mozhaev, P.B. (Institute of Physics and Technology RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation)); Mozhaev, J.E.; Khoryushin, A.V.; Bindslev Hansen, J.; Jacobsen, C.S. (Technical Univ. of Denmark, Dept. of Physics, Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)); Kotelyanskil, I.M.; Luzanov, V.A. (Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation)); Puriy, A.V. (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow (Russian Federation)); Yurchenko, V.; Johansen, T. (Univ. of Oslo, Dept. of Physics, Oslo (Norway))

    2008-10-15

    Improvement of the critical current of YBCO thin films and heterostructures remains one of the main tasks for fabrication of modern superconducting wires and connectors. Possible ways of achieving the goal are choice of superconductor composition, engineering of artificial pinning centres, and combination of the superconducting layer with other materials. The team of the Department of Physics at Technical University of Denmark is working in all these fields and this paper is a short review of our achievements in an attempt to improve the critical current density of YBCO thin films. (au)

  9. Persistent semi-metal-like nature of epitaxial perovskite CaIrO3 thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biswas, Abhijit; Jeong, Yoon Hee

    2015-01-01

    Strong spin-orbit coupled 5d transition metal based ABO 3 oxides, especially iridates, allow tuning parameters in the phase diagram and may demonstrate important functionalities, for example, by means of strain effects and symmetry-breaking, because of the interplay between the Coulomb interactions and strong spin-orbit coupling. Here, we have epitaxially stabilized high quality thin films of perovskite (Pv) CaIrO 3 . Film on the best lattice-matched substrate shows semi-metal-like characteristics. Intriguingly, imposing tensile or compressive strain on the film by altering the underlying lattice-mismatched substrates still maintains semi-metallicity with minute modification of the effective correlation as tensile (compressive) strain results in tiny increases (decreases) of the electronic bandwidth. In addition, magnetoresistance remains positive with a quadratic field dependence. This persistent semi-metal-like nature of Pv-CaIrO 3 thin films with minute changes in the effective correlation by strain may provide new wisdom into strong spin-orbit coupled 5d based oxide physics

  10. Near-surface effects of transient oxidation and reduction on Nb-doped SrTiO3 epitaxial thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, C. F.; Chen, Q. Y.; Wadekar, P. V.; Lozano, O.; Wong, M. S.; Hsieh, W. C.; Lin, W. Y.; Ko, H. H.; Lin, Q. J.; Huang, H. C.; Ho, N. J.; Tu, L. W.; Liao, H. H.; Chinta, P. V.; Chu, W. K.; Seo, H. W.

    2014-03-01

    We studied the effects of transient oxidation and reduction of Nb-doped epitaxial thin films through variations of PAr and PO2. The samples were prepared by co-sputtering of Nb and SrTiO3 on LaAlO3 substrates. The Nb-content were varied from 0-33.7%, as determined by PIXE. Contact resistance, sheet resistance, and optical properties are used to discriminate the effects.

  11. Tensile strain induced changes in the optical spectra of SrTiO.sub.3./sub. epitaxial thin films

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Dejneka, Alexandr; Tyunina, M.; Narkilahti, J.; Levoska, J.; Chvostová, Dagmar; Jastrabík, Lubomír; Trepakov, Vladimír

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 52, č. 10 (2010), 2082-2089 ISSN 1063-7834 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/08/1009; GA AV ČR KAN301370701; GA MŠk(CZ) 1M06002 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100522 Keywords : SrTiO 3 epitaxial thin films * effect of biaxial tensile strains on optical spectra Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 0.727, year: 2010

  12. Structural properties of relaxed thin film germanium layers grown by low temperature RF-PECVD epitaxy on Si and Ge (100) substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cariou, R., E-mail: romain.cariou@polytechnique.edu [LPICM-CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128, Palaiseau (France); III-V lab a joint laboratory between Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs France, Thales Research and Technology and CEA-LETI, route de Nozay, 91460, Marcoussis, France. (France); Ruggeri, R. [LPICM-CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128, Palaiseau (France); CNR-IMM, strada VIII n°5, zona industriale, 95121, Catania (Italy); Tan, X.; Nassar, J.; Roca i Cabarrocas, P. [LPICM-CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128, Palaiseau (France); Mannino, Giovanni [CNR-IMM, strada VIII n°5, zona industriale, 95121, Catania (Italy)

    2014-07-15

    We report on unusual low temperature (175 °C) heteroepitaxial growth of germanium thin films using a standard radio-frequency plasma process. Spectroscopic ellipsometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal a perfect crystalline quality of epitaxial germanium layers on (100) c-Ge wafers. In addition direct germanium crystal growth is achieved on (100) c-Si, despite 4.2% lattice mismatch. Defects rising from Ge/Si interface are mostly located within the first tens of nanometers, and threading dislocation density (TDD) values as low as 10{sup 6} cm{sup −2} are obtained. Misfit stress is released fast: residual strain of −0.4% is calculated from Moiré pattern analysis. Moreover we demonstrate a striking feature of low temperature plasma epitaxy, namely the fact that crystalline quality improves with thickness without epitaxy breakdown, as shown by TEM and depth profiling of surface TDD.

  13. Epitaxial growth and magnetic properties of Fe4-xMnxN thin films grown on MgO(0 0 1) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anzai, Akihito; Takata, Fumiya; Gushi, Toshiki; Toko, Kaoru; Suemasu, Takashi

    2018-05-01

    Epitaxial Fe4-xMnxN (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4) thin films were successfully grown on MgO(0 0 1) single-crystal substrates by molecular beam epitaxy, and their crystalline qualities and magnetic properties were investigated. It was found that the lattice constants of Fe4-xMnxN obtained from X-ray diffraction measurement increased with the Mn content. The ratio of the perpendicular lattice constant c to the in-plane lattice constant a of Fe4-xMnxN was found to be about 0.99 at x ⩾ 2. The magnetic properties evaluated using a vibrating sample magnetometer at room temperature revealed that all of the Fe4-xMnxN films exhibited ferromagnetic behavior regardless of the value of x. In addition, the saturation magnetization decreased non-linearly as the Mn content increased. Finally, FeMn3N and Mn4N exhibited perpendicular anisotropy and their uniaxial magnetic anisotropy energies were 2.2 × 105 and 7.5 × 105 erg/cm3, respectively.

  14. Thin film growth of CaFe2As2 by molecular beam epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hatano, T; Fujimoto, R; Nakamura, I; Mori, Y; Ikuta, H; Kawaguchi, T; Harada, S; Ujihara, T

    2016-01-01

    Film growth of CaFe 2 As 2 was realized by molecular beam epitaxy on six different substrates that have a wide variation in the lattice mismatch to the target compound. By carefully adjusting the Ca-to-Fe flux ratio, we obtained single-phase thin films for most of the substrates. Interestingly, an expansion of the CaFe 2 As 2 lattice to the out-of-plane direction was observed for all films, even when an opposite strain was expected. A detailed microstructure observation of the thin film grown on MgO by transmission electron microscope revealed that it consists of cube-on-cube and 45°-rotated domains. The latter domains were compressively strained in plane, which caused a stretching along the c-axis direction. Because the domains were well connected across the boundary with no appreciable discontinuity, we think that the out-of-plane expansion in the 45°-rotated domains exerted a tensile stress on the other domains, resulting in the unexpectedly large c-axis lattice parameter, despite the apparently opposite lattice mismatch. (paper)

  15. Thin film growth of CaFe2As2 by molecular beam epitaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatano, T.; Kawaguchi, T.; Fujimoto, R.; Nakamura, I.; Mori, Y.; Harada, S.; Ujihara, T.; Ikuta, H.

    2016-01-01

    Film growth of CaFe2As2 was realized by molecular beam epitaxy on six different substrates that have a wide variation in the lattice mismatch to the target compound. By carefully adjusting the Ca-to-Fe flux ratio, we obtained single-phase thin films for most of the substrates. Interestingly, an expansion of the CaFe2As2 lattice to the out-of-plane direction was observed for all films, even when an opposite strain was expected. A detailed microstructure observation of the thin film grown on MgO by transmission electron microscope revealed that it consists of cube-on-cube and 45°-rotated domains. The latter domains were compressively strained in plane, which caused a stretching along the c-axis direction. Because the domains were well connected across the boundary with no appreciable discontinuity, we think that the out-of-plane expansion in the 45°-rotated domains exerted a tensile stress on the other domains, resulting in the unexpectedly large c-axis lattice parameter, despite the apparently opposite lattice mismatch.

  16. Resistivity Effects of Cation Ordering in Highly-Doped La2-xSrxCu4 Epitaxial Thin Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burquest, Franklin; Marmol, Rodrigo; Cox, Nicholas; Nelson-Cheeseman, Brittany

    Highly-doped La2-xSrxCuO4 (LSCO) films (0.5 causes internal polar electrostatic forces, which have been shown to cause stretching of the apical oxygen bond in analogous epitaxial nickelate films. Thin film samples are grown concurrently to minimize extraneous effects on film structure and properties. Atomic force microscopy and x-ray reflectivity demonstrate that the films are single crystalline, epitaxial, and smooth. X-ray diffraction is used to measure the c-axis of the films as a function of doping and dopant cation ordering. Electrical transport data of the ordered samples is compared with transport data of conventional disordered cation samples. Preliminary data indicates significant differences in resistivity at both 300K and 10K between the cation-ordered and cation-disordered samples. This work indicates that dopant cation ordering within the layered cuprates could significantly modify the conduction mechanisms at play in these materials.

  17. Enhanced flux-pinning in fluorine-free MOD YBCO films by chemical doping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, W.T.; Pu, M.H.; Yang, Y. [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation and Maglev Trains (Ministry of Education of China), Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Zhang, H. [Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Cheng, C.H. [Superconductivity Research Group, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wale, Sydney, 2052 NSW (Australia); Zhao, Y., E-mail: yzhao@swjtu.edu.c [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation and Maglev Trains (Ministry of Education of China), Superconductivity R and D Center (SRDC), Mail Stop 165, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Superconductivity Research Group, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wale, Sydney, 2052 NSW (Australia)

    2010-11-01

    YBCO films without and with dilute cobalt and zinc doping were prepared on (0 0 l) LaAlO{sub 3} substrate by non-fluorine metal organic deposition method. Effects of dilute cobalt and zinc doping on biaxial texture, microstructure and flux-pinning properties of YBCO films were investigated. The surface density and smoothness of the doped YBCO films have been distinctly improved compared with that of the pure film. Dilute cobalt- and zinc-doped YBCO films exhibit significantly enhanced J{sub c} values in the magnetic field. The best result is achieved in the cobalt-doped YBCO film. At 77 K, J{sub c} values of cobalt-doped film are 1.7 and 5.4 times higher than that of pure film in 0.5 T and 1.5 T, respectively. These results strongly suggest that dilute cobalt and zinc doping is a promising way to increase the current carrying capability of YBCO films.

  18. Microstructure evolution in pulsed laser deposited epitaxial Ge-Sb-Te chalcogenide thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ross, Ulrich; Lotnyk, Andriy, E-mail: andriy.lotnyk@iom-leipzig.de; Thelander, Erik; Rauschenbach, Bernd

    2016-08-15

    The thin film deposition and structure of highly oriented telluride compounds is of particular interest for phase-change applications in next-generation non-volatile memory such as heterostructure designs, as well as for the investigation of novel optical, thermoelectric and ferroelectric properties in layered telluride compounds. In this work, epitaxial Ge-Sb-Te thin films were successfully produced by pulsed laser deposition on silicon with and without amorphous SiO{sub x} interlayer at elevated process temperatures from a Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} target. Aberration-corrected high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging reveals a distinct interface configuration of the trigonal phase connected by a quasi van der Waals gap (vacancy) to the Sb/Te-passivated single crystalline Si substrate, yet also an intermediate textured growth regime in which the substrate symmetry is only weakly coupled to the thin film orientation, as well as strong deviation of composition at high deposition temperatures. Textured growth of Ge-Sb-Te thin film was also observed on SiO{sub x}/Si substrate with no evidence of an intermediate Sb/Te surface layer on top of an SiO{sub x} layer. In addition, particular defect structures formed by local reorganization of the stacking sequence across the vacancy gap are observed and appear to be intrinsic to these van der Waals-layered compounds. Theoretical image simulations of preferred stacking sequences can be matched to individual building blocks in the Ge-Sb-Te grain. - Highlights: • Atomic-resolution Cs-corrected STEM imaging of PLD deposited Ge-Sb-Te thin films. • Changing of overall composition with increasing deposition temperature. • Direct imaging of surface passivation Sb/Te layer at the Ge-Sb-Te/Si(111) interface. • The Sb/Te passivation layer is not a prerequisite for highly oriented growth of Ge-Sb-Te thin films.

  19. Irradiation induced improvement in crystallinity of epitaxially grown Ag thin films on Si substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takahiro, Katsumi; Nagata, Shinji; Yamaguchi, Sadae [Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan). Inst. for Materials Research

    1997-03-01

    We report the improvement in crystallinity of epitaxially grown Ag films on Si(100) substrates with ion irradiation. The irradiation of 0.5 MeV Si ions to 2x10{sup 16}/cm{sup 2} at 200degC, for example, reduces the channeling minimum yield from 60% to 6% at Ag surface. The improvement originates from the decrease of mosaic spread in the Ag thin film. In our experiments, ion energy, ion species and irradiation temperature have been varied. The better crystallinity is obtained as the higher concentration of defect is generated. The mechanism involved in the irradiation induced improvement is discussed. (author)

  20. Doping site dependent thermoelectric properties of epitaxial strontium titanate thin films

    KAUST Repository

    Abutaha, Anas I.; Sarath Kumar, S. R.; Mehdizadeh Dehkordi, Arash; Tritt, Terry M.; Alshareef, Husam N.

    2014-01-01

    We demonstrate that the thermoelectric properties of epitaxial strontium titanate (STO) thin films can be improved by additional B-site doping of A-site doped ABO3 type perovskite STO. The additional B-site doping of A-site doped STO results in increased electrical conductivity, but at the expense of Seebeck coefficient. However, doping on both sites of the STO lattice significantly reduces the lattice thermal conductivity of STO by adding more densely and strategically distributed phononic scattering centers that attack wider phonon spectra. The additional B-site doping limits the trade-off relationship between the electrical conductivity and total thermal conductivity of A-site doped STO, leading to an improvement in the room-temperature thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT. The 5% Pr3+ and 20% Nb5+ double-doped STO film exhibits the best ZT of 0.016 at room temperature. This journal is

  1. Growth of epitaxial thin films by pulsed laser ablation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lowndes, D.H.

    1992-01-01

    High-quality, high-temperature superconductor (HTSc) films can be grown by the pulsed laser ablation (PLA) process. This article provides a detailed introduction to the advantages and curent limitations of PLA for epitaxial film growth. Emphasis is placed on experimental methods and on exploitation of PLA to control epitaxial growth at either the unit cell or the atomic-layer level. Examples are taken from recent HTSc film growth. 33 figs, 127 refs

  2. Effect of carbon additive on microstructure evolution and magnetic properties of epitaxial FePt (001) thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding, Y.F.; Chen, J.S.; Liu, E.; Lim, B.C.; Hu, J.F.; Liu, B.

    2009-01-01

    FePt:C thin films were deposited on CrRu underlayers by DC magnetron co-sputtering. The effects of C content, FePt:C film thickness and substrate temperature on the microstructural and magnetic properties of the epitaxial FePt (001) films were studied. Experimental results showed that even with 30 vol.% C doping, the FePt films could keep a (001) preferred orientation at 350 deg. C . When a FePt:C film was very thin (< 5 nm), the film had a continuous microstructure instead of a granual structure with C diffused onto the film surface. With further increased film thickness, the film started to nucleate and formed a column microstructure over continuous FePt films. A strong exchange coupling in the FePt:C films was believed to be due to the presence of a thin continuous FePt layer attributed to the carbon diffusion during the initial stage of the FePt:C film growth. Despite the presence of a strong exchange coupling in the FePt:C (20 vol.% C) film, the SNR ratio of the FePt:C media was about 10 dB better than that of the pure FePt media. The epitaxial growth of the FePt:C films on the Pt layers was observed from high resolution TEM cross sectional images even for the films grown at about 200 deg. C . The TEM images did not show an obvious change in the morphology of the FePt:C films deposited at different temperatures (from 200 deg. C to 350 deg. C ), though the ordering degree and coercivity of the films increased with increased substrate temperature

  3. High-Jc YBa2Cu3O7-x-Ag superconducting thin films synthesized through a fluorine-free MOD method

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tang, Xiao; Yue, Zhao; Wu, W.

    2015-01-01

    Obtaining a high critical current density (Jc) remains the main challenge in developing fluorine-free metal organic deposition (MOD) methods to fabricate YBCO superconducting thin films. Silver addition was used to raise the Jc values in this research work. By reacting with propionic acid...... and ammonia, AgNO3 was initially mixed with YBCO carboxylate precursors dissolved in methanol. High-temperature in situ XRD measurements on the YBCO-Ag powders revealed that silver addition lowers the incongruent melting temperature of YBCO to 760°C and resulted in a smooth surface morphology of the YBCO...... films at a temperature as low as 760°C. Grain growth and intergranular conductivity were also found to be improved by silver doping. After annealing under optimized conditions, a high Jc of 4.6MA/cm2 was obtained in a YBCO-Ag thin film with 10 wt% Ag....

  4. Epitaxial growth and dielectric properties of Bi sub 2 VO sub 5 sub . sub 5 thin films on TiN/Si substrates with SrTiO sub 3 buffer layers

    CERN Document Server

    Lee, H Y; Choi, B C; Jeong, J H; Joseph, M; Tabata, H; Kawai, T

    2000-01-01

    Bi sub 2 VO sub 5 sub . sub 5 (BVO) thin films were epitaxially grown on SrTiO sub 3 /TiN/Si substrates by using pulsed laser ablation. A TiN thin film was prepared at 700 .deg. C as a bottom electrode. The TiN film exhibited a high alpha axis orientation and a very smooth morphology. Before the preparation of the BVO thin film, a crystallized SrTiO sub 3 thin film was deposited as a buffer layer on TiN/Si. The BVO thin film grown at a substrate temperature at 700 .deg. C and an oxygen pressure of 50 mTorr was found to be epitaxial along the c-axis. Also, BVO films were observed to have flat surfaces and the step-flow modes. The dielectric constant of the BVO film on STO/TiN/Si was constant at about 8 approx 4 in the applied frequency range between 10 sup 2 and 10 sup 6 Hz.

  5. Atomic layer epitaxy of ZnO for applications in molecular beam epitaxy growth of GaN and InGaN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godlewski, M.; Szczerbakow, A.; Ivanov, V. Yu.; Barski, A.; Goldys, E.M.

    2000-01-01

    We report the successful atomic layer epitaxy growth of thin ZnO films and their use for GaN and InGaN epitaxy. The properties of ZnO epilayers, obtained by four different procedures, are analysed, as well as of GaN and InGaN films grown on ZnO-coated Si and GaAs by MBE. (author)

  6. Characterization of structural defects in SnSe2 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (111)B substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tracy, Brian D.; Li, Xiang; Liu, Xinyu; Furdyna, Jacek; Dobrowolska, Margaret; Smith, David J.

    2016-11-01

    Tin selenide thin films have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (111)B substrates at a growth temperature of 150 °C, and a microstructural study has been carried out, primarily using the technique of transmission electron microscopy. The Se:Sn flux ratio during growth was systematically varied and found to have a strong impact on the resultant crystal structure and quality. Low flux ratios (Se:Sn=3:1) led to defective films consisting primarily of SnSe, whereas high flux ratios (Se:Sn>10:1) gave higher quality, single-phase SnSe2. The structure of the monoselenide films was found to be consistent with the Space Group Pnma with the epitaxial growth relationship of [011]SnSe// [ 1 1 bar 0 ] GaAs, while the diselenide films were consistent with the Space Group P 3 bar m1 , and had the epitaxial growth relationship [ 2 1 bar 1 bar 0 ]SnSe2// [ 1 1 bar 0 ] GaAs.

  7. Growth and domain structure of YBa2Cu3Ox films on neodymium gallate substrates with deviation of surface normal from [110] NdGaO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bdikin, I.K.; Mozhaev, P.B.; Ovsyannikov, G.A.; Komissinskij, F.V.; Kotelyanskij, I.M.; Raksha, E.I.

    2001-01-01

    One investigated into growth, crystalline structure and electrophysical properties of YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (YBCO) epitaxial films grown on NdGaO 3 (NGO) substrates with substrate surface normal deviation from [110] by 5-26.6 deg angle around [001] with CeO 2 epitaxial sublayer or without it. Orientation of YBCO epitaxial films grown at these substrates is shown to be governed by occurrence of symmetrically equipment directions in substrates and in CeO 2 layer, as well as, by film precipitation rate. At precipitation high rate YBCO films on CeO 2 sublayer grow in [001] orientation independently of orientation of substrate and sublayer. One determined that at increase of substrate plane deviation angle from (110) NGO twinning of one or of both twin complexes in YBCO might be suppressed [ru

  8. Compliant ferroelastic domains in epitaxial Pb(Zr,Ti)O{sub 3} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feigl, L.; McGilly, L. J.; Sandu, C. S.; Setter, N. [Ceramics Laboratory, EPFL - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne CH-1015 (Switzerland)

    2014-04-28

    Ordered patterns of highly compliant ferroelastic domains have been created by use of tensile strained epitaxial Pb(Zr,Ti)O{sub 3} thin films, of very low defect density, grown on DyScO{sub 3} substrates. The effect of 180° switching on well-ordered a/c 90° domain patterns is investigated by a combination of transmission electron microscopy, piezoelectric force microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. It is shown that ferroelastic a-domains, having an in-plane polarization, can be created and completely removed on a local level by an out-of-plane electric field. The modifications of the ferroelastic domain pattern can be controlled by varying the parameters used during switching with a piezoresponse force microscope to produce the desired arrangement.

  9. Dielectric and ferroelectric properties of strain-relieved epitaxial lead-free KNN-LT-LS ferroelectric thin films on SrTiO3 substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abazari, M.; Akdoǧan, E. K.; Safari, A.

    2008-05-01

    We report the growth of single-phase (K0.44,Na0.52,Li0.04)(Nb0.84,Ta0.10,Sb0.06)O3 thin films on SrRuO3 coated ⟨001⟩ oriented SrTiO3 substrates by using pulsed laser deposition. Films grown at 600°C under low laser fluence exhibit a ⟨001⟩ textured columnar grained nanostructure, which coalesce with increasing deposition temperature, leading to a uniform fully epitaxial highly stoichiometric film at 750°C. However, films deposited at lower temperatures exhibit compositional fluctuations as verified by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The epitaxial films of 400-600nm thickness have a room temperature relative permittivity of ˜750 and a loss tangent of ˜6% at 1kHz. The room temperature remnant polarization of the films is 4μC /cm2, while the saturation polarization is 7.1μC/cm2 at 24kV/cm and the coercive field is ˜7.3kV/cm. The results indicate that approximately 50% of the bulk permittivity and 20% of bulk spontaneous polarization can be retained in submicron epitaxial KNN-LT-LS thin film, respectively. The conductivity of the films remains to be a challenge as evidenced by the high loss tangent, leakage currents, and broad hysteresis loops.

  10. Direct observation of fatigue in epitaxially grown Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films using second harmonic piezoresponse force microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murari, Nishit M.; Hong, Seungbum; Lee, Ho Nyung; Katiyar, Ram. S.

    2011-08-01

    Here, we present a direct observation of fatigue phenomena in epitaxially grown Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 (PZT) thin films using second harmonic piezoresponse force microscopy (SH-PFM). We observed strong correlation between the SH-PFM amplitude and phase signals with the remnant piezoresponse at different switching cycles. The SH-PFM results indicate that the average fraction of switchable domains decreases globally and the phase delays of polarization switching differ locally. In addition, we found that the fatigue developed uniformly over the whole area without developing region-by-region suppression of switchable polarization as in polycrystalline PZT thin films.

  11. On the Novel Biaxial Strain Relaxation Mechanism in Epitaxial Composition Graded La1−xSrxMnO3 Thin Film Synthesized by RF Magnetron Sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yishu Wang

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available We report on a novel method to fabricate composition gradient, epitaxial La1−xSrxMnO3 thin films with the objective to alleviate biaxial film strain. In this work, epitaxial, composition gradient La1−xSrxMnO3, and pure LaMnO3 and La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films were deposited by radio frequency (RF magnetron sputtering. The crystalline and epitaxy of all films were first studied by symmetric θ–2θ X-ray diffraction (XRD and low angle XRD experiments. Detailed microstructural characterization across the film thickness was conducted by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. Four compositional gradient domains were observed in the La1−xSrxMnO3 film ranging from LaMnO3 rich to La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 at the surface. A continuous reduction in the lattice parameter was observed accompanied by a significant reduction in the out-of-plane strain in the film. Fabrication of the composition gradient La1−xSrxMnO3 thin film was found to be a powerful method to relieve biaxial strain under critical thickness. Besides, the coexistence of domains with a composition variance is opening up various new possibilities of designing new nanoscale structures with unusual cross coupled properties.

  12. A study for designing YBCO power transformer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, H.; Okamoto, H.; Harimoto, T.; Imayoshi, T.; Tomioka, A.; Bouno, T.; Konno, M.; Iwakuma, M.

    2007-01-01

    It is highly expected that superconducting transformers, which are characterized by incombustibility, light weight, and compactness, will be used practically for equipment in substations and office buildings sited in urban areas. In recent years, remarkable improvements in the performance of YBaCuO (YBCO) tape wire have been seen. This kind of tape wire has the property that its critical current is large in a highly magnetic field; and, its use is expected to reduce AC loss by applying slit processing on the tape wire, contributing to future cost reductions. In addition, the development of efficient, economical cryogenic units is also expected. The authors have developed a conceptual design for a 66 kV/20 MVA power transformer using YBCO tape wires, or an YBCO power transformer. As a result, we were able to identify the transformer's optimal system structure including coil winding comprised of coils and tape wires; and, we confirmed that the devised transformer can made to be both compact and highly efficient

  13. Epitaxial growth and properties of YBaCuO thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geerk, J.; Linker, G.; Meyer, O.

    1989-08-01

    The growth quality of YBaCuO thin films deposited by sputtering on different substrates (Al 2 O 3 , MgO, SrTiO 3 , Zr(Y)O 2 ) has been studied by X-ray diffraction and channeling experiments as a function of the deposition temperature. Besides the substrate orientation, the substrate temperature is the parameter determining whether films grow in c-, a-, (110) or mixed directions. Epitaxial growth correlates with high critical current values in the films of up to 5.5x10 6 A/cm 2 at 77 K. Ultrathin films with thicknesses down to 2 nm were grown revealing three-dimensional superconducting behaviour. Films on (100) SrTiO 3 of 9 nm thickness and below are partially strained indicating commensurate growth. From the analysis of the surface disorder 1 displaced Ba atom per Ba 2 Y row was obtained indicating that the disordered layer thickness is about 0.6 nm. Tunnel junctions fabricated on these films reveal gap-like structures near ±16 mV and ±30 mV. (orig.) [de

  14. Growth and characterization of epitaxial ultra-thin NbN films on 3C-SiC/Si substrate for terahertz applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dochev, D; Desmaris, V; Pavolotsky, A; Meledin, D; Belitsky, V; Lai, Z; Henry, A; Janzen, E; Pippel, E; Woltersdorf, J

    2011-01-01

    We report on electrical properties and microstructure of epitaxial thin NbN films grown on 3C-SiC/Si substrates by means of reactive magnetron sputtering. A complete epitaxial growth at the NbN/3C-SiC interface has been confirmed by means of high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) along with x-ray diffractometry (XRD). Resistivity measurements of the films have shown that the superconducting transition onset temperature (T C ) for the best specimen is 11.8 K. Using these epitaxial NbN films, we have fabricated submicron-size hot-electron bolometer (HEB) devices on 3C-SiC/Si substrate and performed their complete DC characterization. The observed critical temperature T C = 11.3 K and critical current density of about 2.5 MA cm -2 at 4.2 K of the submicron-size bridges were uniform across the sample. This suggests that the deposited NbN films possess the necessary homogeneity to sustain reliable hot-electron bolometer device fabrication for THz mixer applications.

  15. Growth and characterization of epitaxial ultra-thin NbN films on 3C-SiC/Si substrate for terahertz applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dochev, D; Desmaris, V; Pavolotsky, A; Meledin, D; Belitsky, V [Group for Advanced Receiver Development, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden); Lai, Z [Nanofabrication Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden); Henry, A; Janzen, E [Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linkoeping University, SE-581 83 Linkoeping (Sweden); Pippel, E; Woltersdorf, J, E-mail: dimitar.dochev@chalmers.se [Max-Planck-Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle (Germany)

    2011-03-15

    We report on electrical properties and microstructure of epitaxial thin NbN films grown on 3C-SiC/Si substrates by means of reactive magnetron sputtering. A complete epitaxial growth at the NbN/3C-SiC interface has been confirmed by means of high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) along with x-ray diffractometry (XRD). Resistivity measurements of the films have shown that the superconducting transition onset temperature (T{sub C}) for the best specimen is 11.8 K. Using these epitaxial NbN films, we have fabricated submicron-size hot-electron bolometer (HEB) devices on 3C-SiC/Si substrate and performed their complete DC characterization. The observed critical temperature T{sub C} = 11.3 K and critical current density of about 2.5 MA cm{sup -2} at 4.2 K of the submicron-size bridges were uniform across the sample. This suggests that the deposited NbN films possess the necessary homogeneity to sustain reliable hot-electron bolometer device fabrication for THz mixer applications.

  16. Single orientation graphene synthesized on iridium thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dangwal Pandey, A., E-mail: arti.pandey@desy.de; Grånäs, E.; Shayduk, R.; Noei, H.; Vonk, V. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Krausert, K.; Franz, D.; Müller, P.; Keller, T. F.; Stierle, A., E-mail: andreas.stierle@desy.de [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Fachbereich Physik, Universität Hamburg, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany)

    2016-08-21

    Heteroepitaxial iridium thin films were deposited on (0001) sapphire substrates by means of molecular beam epitaxy, and subsequently, one monolayer of graphene was synthesized by chemical vapor deposition. The influence of the growth parameters on the quality of the Ir films, as well as of graphene, was investigated systematically by means of low energy electron diffraction, x-ray reflectivity, x-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Our study reveals (111) oriented iridium films with high crystalline quality and extremely low surface roughness, on which the formation of large-area epitaxial graphene is achieved. The presence of defects, like dislocations, twins, and 30° rotated domains in the iridium films is also discussed. The coverage of graphene was found to be influenced by the presence of 30° rotated domains in the Ir films. Low iridium deposition rates suppress these rotated domains and an almost complete coverage of graphene was obtained. This synthesis route yields inexpensive, air-stable, and large-area graphene with a well-defined orientation, making it accessible to a wider community of researchers for numerous experiments or applications, including those which use destructive analysis techniques or irreversible processes. Moreover, this approach can be used to tune the structural quality of graphene, allowing a systematic study of the influence of defects in various processes like intercalation below graphene.

  17. Epitaxial Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films for a MEMS application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, Minh D; Vu, Hung N; Blank, Dave H A; Rijnders, Guus

    2011-01-01

    This research presents the deposition and device fabrication of epitaxial Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (PZT) thin films for applications in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). A piezoelectric micro-membrane is described as an example. Using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique and the MEMS microfabrication process, the piezo-membranes with diameters ranging from 200 to 500 μm were obtained. The displacement of piezo-membranes increased from 5.1 to 17.5 nm V −1 with a piezoelectric-membrane diameter in the range of 200–500 μm. Furthermore, the effect of PZT film-thickness on the mechanical properties has been investigated. By using the conductive-oxide SrRuO 3 (SRO) layers as the electrodes, the degradation of both ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties is prevented up to 10 10 switching cycles

  18. Fabrication and characterization of melt-processed YBCO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sengupta, S.; Corpus, J.; Gaines, J.R. Jr.; Todt, V.R.; Zhang, X.F.; Miller, D.J.; Varanasi, C.; McGinn, P.J.

    1996-01-01

    Large domain YBCO are fabricated by using a melt processing technique for magnetic levitation applications. A Nd 1+x Ba 2-x Cu 3 O y seed is used to initiate grain growth and to control the orientation of YBCO grains. Samples as large as 2 inch have been fabricated by utilizing this method. Microstructural studies reveals two distinct regions in these levitators due to different growth mechanism along a/b and c axis. Some initial results on the mass production of these levitators are also reported

  19. YBCO/manganite layered structures on NdGaO{sub 3} substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nurgaliev, T [Institute of Electronics BAS, 72 Tsarigradsko Chaussee, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Blagoev, B [Institute of Electronics BAS, 72 Tsarigradsko Chaussee, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Donchev, T [Institute of Electronics BAS, 72 Tsarigradsko Chaussee, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Miteva, S [Institute of Electronics BAS, 72 Tsarigradsko Chaussee, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Mozhaev, P B [Institute of Physics and Technology RAS, Nakhimovsky ave. 36, 117218 Moscow (Russian Federation); Mozhaeva, J E [Institute of Physics and Technology RAS, Nakhimovsky ave. 36, 117218 Moscow (Russian Federation); Ovsyannikov, G A [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS, Mokhovaya st.11, 103907 Moscow (Russian Federation); Kotelyanskii, I M [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS, Mokhovaya st.11, 103907 Moscow (Russian Federation); Jacobsen, C [Technical University of Denmark, Building 307-309, DK-2800, Kgs.Lyngby, Denmark (Denmark)

    2006-06-01

    Results of deposition of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-x}/CeO{sub 2}/(La{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} or La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}) structures on the standard oriented and tilted ( 8{sup 0}) NdGaO{sub 3} substrates and results of investigation of electrical parameters of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-x} (YBCO) films in such structures are presented. The YBCO component of the structure exhibits lower value of the critical parameters in comparison with those of single YBCO films. The contribution of the magnetic layer to the microwave losses of the YBCO film in the layered structure is evaluated.

  20. Spin Seebeck effect in insulating epitaxial γ−Fe2O3 thin films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Jiménez-Cavero

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available We report the fabrication of high crystal quality epitaxial thin films of maghemite (γ−Fe2O3, a classic ferrimagnetic insulating iron oxide. Spin Seebeck effect (SSE measurements in γ−Fe2O3/Pt bilayers as a function of sample preparation conditions and temperature yield a SSE coefficient of 0.5(1 μV/K at room temperature. Dependence on temperature allows us to estimate the magnon diffusion length in maghemite to be in the range of tens of nanometers, in good agreement with that of conducting iron oxide magnetite (Fe3O4, establishing the relevance of spin currents of magnonic origin in magnetic iron oxides.

  1. Crystallization engineering as a route to epitaxial strain control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew R. Akbashev

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The controlled synthesis of epitaxial thin films offers opportunities for tuning their functional properties via enabling or suppressing strain relaxation. Examining differences in the epitaxial crystallization of amorphous oxide films, we report on an alternate, low-temperature route for strain engineering. Thin films of amorphous Bi–Fe–O were grown on (001SrTiO3 and (001LaAlO3 substrates via atomic layer deposition. In situ X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of the crystallization of the amorphous films into the epitaxial (001BiFeO3 phase reveal distinct evolution profiles of crystallinity with temperature. While growth on (001SrTiO3 results in a coherently strained film, the same films obtained on (001LaAlO3 showed an unstrained, dislocation-rich interface, with an even lower temperature onset of the perovskite phase crystallization than in the case of (001SrTiO3. Our results demonstrate how the strain control in an epitaxial film can be accomplished via its crystallization from the amorphous state.

  2. Persistent semi-metal-like nature of epitaxial perovskite CaIrO{sub 3} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Biswas, Abhijit; Jeong, Yoon Hee, E-mail: yhj@postech.ac.kr [Department of Physics, POSTECH, Pohang 790-784 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-05-21

    Strong spin-orbit coupled 5d transition metal based ABO{sub 3} oxides, especially iridates, allow tuning parameters in the phase diagram and may demonstrate important functionalities, for example, by means of strain effects and symmetry-breaking, because of the interplay between the Coulomb interactions and strong spin-orbit coupling. Here, we have epitaxially stabilized high quality thin films of perovskite (Pv) CaIrO{sub 3}. Film on the best lattice-matched substrate shows semi-metal-like characteristics. Intriguingly, imposing tensile or compressive strain on the film by altering the underlying lattice-mismatched substrates still maintains semi-metallicity with minute modification of the effective correlation as tensile (compressive) strain results in tiny increases (decreases) of the electronic bandwidth. In addition, magnetoresistance remains positive with a quadratic field dependence. This persistent semi-metal-like nature of Pv-CaIrO{sub 3} thin films with minute changes in the effective correlation by strain may provide new wisdom into strong spin-orbit coupled 5d based oxide physics.

  3. Functional oxide thin films by pulsed-laser deposition: ion beam nanostructuring of epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7-d and growth of conductive transparent Zn1-xAlxO on compliant substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dosmailov, M.

    2015-01-01

    This doctoral dissertation is composed of two parts. The first part of the work is dedicated to the modification of YBCO film by Masked Ion Beam Structuring (MIBS) and the commensurability effects between flux line lattice and defect lattice caused by ion irradiation. The motivation of this part of the work is to understand better the physics of the vortex matter. The YBCO film was grown on MgO substrate by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) method. PLD is a thin film deposition method where high power pulsed laser beam is employed to ablate the material on the target and to deposit thin film on the substrate. This process occurs in high vacuum or in gas background. The main advantage of MIBS is the direct, non-contact structuring of superconducting devices with a resolution mainly limited by masking technique. MIBS is a parallel process that can be used for patterning large sample areas. It avoids surface degradation. The resolution of the MIBS technique can be 10 nm for a 100 nm thick YBCO film irradiated with 75 keV He+. The YBCO film modified by ion irradiation has higher resistivity by factor of ⁓ 3 at temperature T =290K, and much reduced critical temperature Tc ⁓ 47K and broadened transition [Delta]Tc ⁓ 8K. The YBCO film was irradiated with 75keV He+. The square array of nanodots with diameter 175 nm and lattice constant 300 nm was produced using a Si stencil mask. The nanodots are serving as pinning centers for vortices that arise in the superconducting materials of type II in the presence of the magnetic field. The commensurability effects manifest themselves in pronounced minimum of magnetoresistance and pronounced maximum of the critical current at the matching fields. The entire Jc(B) is described by tentative model. Moreover, a strong hysteresis of magnetoresistance and the critical current density Jc(B) is observed (Cooperation with Prof. Wolfgang Lang, University of Vienna). It is interesting to further investigate the physics of vortex matter. The

  4. Strong Flux Pinning of Nano-Sized Ysz Particles in Ybco Films Prepared by Mod Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, S.; Suo, H. L.; Liu, M.; Tang, X.; Wu, Z. P.; Zhao, Y.; Zhou, M. L.

    The YBCO films with doped YSZ nanoparticles have been prepared successfully by metal organic doepositon method using trifluoroacetates (TFA-MOD) through dissolving Zr organic salt into the YBCO precursor solution. The doped films have well in-plane and out-plane textures detected by both XRD Φ-scan and ω-scan. The YSZ nanoparticles with the size of about 5 ~ 15 nm were observed on the surface of the YBCO films using both FE-SEM and TEM. By comparing the superconducting properties, it was found that the doped YBCO films had lower Tc than that of undoped YBCO films. However, as increasing the applied magnetic field, Jc of the doped YBCO films were much better than that of undoped one. The Jc was as higher as 2.5 times than that of undoped YBCO film at 77 K and 1 T applied field.

  5. Raman spectra, microstructure and superconducting properties of Sb(III)-YBCO composite superconductor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elsabawy, Khaled M. [Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta (Egypt)]. E-mail: ksabawy@yahoo.com

    2005-11-15

    The pure YBCO (YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}) and its variant antimony containing composites with general formula; Y{sub 1+x}Sb {sub x}Ba{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O {sub z}, where x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mol%, respectively, were prepared by the solid-state reaction route. X-ray measurements indicated that Sb{sup 3+} ions have a negligible effect on the main crystalline structure and substitutes Y-sites successfully in lattice structure of 123-YBCO at low concentrations of doping (x = 0.1 {sup {yields}} 0.2). From SE-microscopy mapping and EDX elemental analysis, Sb{sup 3+} was detected qualitatively with good approximation to the actual molar ratio but not observed at 123-YBCO grain boundaries which confirm that antimony (III) has diffused regularly into material bulk of superconducting 123-YBCO-phase at low concentrations. Additions of Sb(III) affected sharply on the main vibrating modes of YBCO regime particularly, on the apical oxygen (O{sub 4}) vibrational mode A {sub 1g}. Magnetic susceptibility measurements proved that antimony oxide additions have slight effect on the transport properties of YBCO-composites regime.

  6. Critical Current Properties in Longitudinal Magnetic Field of YBCO Superconductor with APC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kido, R.; Kiuchi, M.; Otabe, E. S.; Matsushita, T.; Jha, A. K.; Matsumoto, K.

    The critical current density (Jc) properties of the Artificial Pinning Center (APC) introduced YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) films in the longitudinal magnetic field were measured. Y2O3 or Y2BaCuO5 (Y211) was introduced as APCs to YBCO, and YBCO films with APC were fabricated on SrTiO3 single crystal substrate. The sizes of Y2O3 and Y211 were 5-10 nm and 10-20 nm, respectively. As a result, Jc enhancement in the longitudinal magnetic field was observed in Y2O3 introduced YBCO films. However, it was not observed in Y211 introduced YBCO films. Therefore, it was considered that Jc properties in the longitudinal magnetic field were affected by introducing of small size APC, and it was necessary that APC does not disturb the current pathway in the superconductor.

  7. Preparation of YBCO on YSZ layers deposited on silicon and sapphire by MOCVD: influence of the intermediate layer on the quality of the superconducting film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia, G.; Casado, J.; Llibre, J.; Doudkowski, M.; Santiso, J.; Figueras, A.; Schamm, S.; Dorignac, D.; Grigis, C.; Aguilo, M.

    1995-01-01

    YSZ buffer layers were deposited on silicon and sapphire by MOCVD. The layers deposited on silicon were highly oriented along [100] direction without in-plane orientation, probably because the existence of the SiO 2 amorphous interlayer. In contrast, epitaxial YSZ was obtained on (1-102) sapphire showing an in-plane texture defined by the following relationships: (100) YSZ // (1-102) sapphire and (110) YSZ // (01-12) sapphire. Subsequently, YBCO films were deposited on YSZ by MOCVD. Structural, morphological and electrical characterization of the superconducting layers were correlated with the in-plane texture of the buffer layers. (orig.)

  8. Atomic site tunneling spectroscopy on high-Tc superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasegawa, T.; Nantoh, M.; Takagi, A.; Yamaguchi, W.; Ogino, M.; Kawasaki, M.

    1994-01-01

    Superconducting gap structures of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O y (BSCCO) and YBa 2 Cu 3 O y (YBCO) have been probed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at cryogenic temperatures. The tunneling conductance curves observed on bulk single crystals of BSCCO and epitaxial thin films of YBCO revealed clear obershooting peaks and flat bottom regions around V=0 with quite low zero-bias conductances of ∝1%. Since the electron tunneling process in STM is essentially incoherent, the present observation is favored by the s-wave pairing mechanism. However, the conductance curves were found to be substantially smeared in comparison with the conventional spectra predicted in the BCS (isotropic s-wave) superconductors, suggesting gap anisotropy. (orig.)

  9. Flux pinning characteristics of YBCO coated conductor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsushita, T.; Watanabe, T.; Fukumoto, Y.; Yamauchi, K.; Kiuchi, M.; Otabe, E.S.; Kiss, T.; Watanabe, T.; Miyata, S.; Ibi, A.; Muroga, T.; Yamada, Y.; Shiohara, Y.

    2005-01-01

    Flux pinning properties of PLD-processed YBCO coated conductors deposited on IBAD substrate are investigated. The thickness of YBCO layer is changed in the range of 0.27-1.0 μm. The thickness dependence of critical current density, n-value and irreversibility field are measured in a wide range of magnetic field. The results are compared with the theoretical flux creep-flow model. It is found that these pinning properties are strongly influenced by the thickness as well as the pinning strength. Optimum condition for high field application of this superconductor is discussed

  10. Misfit strain-film thickness phase diagrams and related electromechanical properties of epitaxial ultra-thin lead zirconate titanate films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qiu, Q.Y.; Mahjoub, R. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia); Alpay, S.P. [Materials Science and Engineering Program and Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 (United States); Nagarajan, V., E-mail: nagarajan@unsw.edu.au [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia)

    2010-02-15

    The phase stability of ultra-thin (0 0 1) oriented ferroelectric PbZr{sub 1-x}Ti{sub x}O{sub 3} (PZT) epitaxial thin films as a function of the film composition, film thickness, and the misfit strain is analyzed using a non-linear Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire thermodynamic model taking into account the electrical and mechanical boundary conditions. The theoretical formalism incorporates the role of the depolarization field as well as the possibility of the relaxation of in-plane strains via the formation of microstructural features such as misfit dislocations at the growth temperature and ferroelastic polydomain patterns below the paraelectric-ferroelectric phase transformation temperature. Film thickness-misfit strain phase diagrams are developed for PZT films with four different compositions (x = 1, 0.9, 0.8 and 0.7) as a function of the film thickness. The results show that the so-called rotational r-phase appears in a very narrow range of misfit strain and thickness of the film. Furthermore, the in-plane and out-of-plane dielectric permittivities {epsilon}{sub 11} and {epsilon}{sub 33}, as well as the out-of-plane piezoelectric coefficients d{sub 33} for the PZT thin films, are computed as a function of misfit strain, taking into account substrate-induced clamping. The model reveals that previously predicted ultrahigh piezoelectric coefficients due to misfit-strain-induced phase transitions are practically achievable only in an extremely narrow range of film thickness, composition and misfit strain parameter space. We also show that the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of epitaxial ferroelectric films can be tailored through strain engineering and microstructural optimization.

  11. Low ac loss geometries in YBCO coated conductors and impact on conductor stability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duckworth, Robert C [ORNL; List III, Frederick Alyious [ORNL; Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans [ORNL; Rupich, M. W. [American Superconductor Corporation, Westborough, MA; Zhang, W. [American Superconductor Corporation, Westborough, MA; Xie, Y. Y. [SuperPower Incorporated, Schenectady, New York; Selvamanickam, V. [SuperPower Incorporated, Schenectady, New York

    2007-01-01

    Reduction of ac losses in applied ac fields can be accomplished through either the creation of filaments and bridging in YBCO coated conductors or an assembly of narrow width YBCO tapes. The ac losses for each of these geometries were measured at 77 K in perpendicular ac fields up to 100 mT. While ac loss reduction was achieved with YBCO filaments created through laser scribing and inkjet deposition, the assembly of stacked YBCO conductor provides an alternative method of ac loss reduction. When compared to a 4-mm wide YBCO coated conductor with a critical current of 60 A, the ac loss in a stack of 2-mm wide YBCO coated conductors with a similar total critical current was reduced. While the reduction in ac loss in a 2-mm wide stack coincided with the reduction in the engineering current density of the conductor, further reduction of ac loss was obtained through the splicing of the 2-mm wide tapes with low resistance solders. To better determine the practicality of these methods from a stability point of view, a numerical analysis was carried out to determine the influence of bridging and splicing on stability of a YBCO coated conductor for both liquid nitrogen-cooled and conduction cooled geometries.

  12. Growth and characterization of β-Ga2O3 thin films by molecular beam epitaxy for deep-UV photodetectors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghose, Susmita; Rahman, Shafiqur; Hong, Liang; Rojas-Ramirez, Juan Salvador; Jin, Hanbyul; Park, Kibog; Klie, Robert; Droopad, Ravi

    2017-09-01

    The growth of high quality epitaxial beta-gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) using a compound source by molecular beam epitaxy has been demonstrated on c-plane sapphire (Al2O3) substrates. The compound source provides oxidized gallium molecules in addition to oxygen when heated from an iridium crucible in a high temperature effusion cell enabling a lower heat of formation for the growth of Ga2O3, resulting in a more efficient growth process. This source also enabled the growth of crystalline β-Ga2O3 without the need for additional oxygen. The influence of the substrate temperatures on the crystal structure and quality, chemical bonding, surface morphology, and optical properties has been systematically evaluated by x-ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and UV-vis spectroscopy. Under optimized growth conditions, all films exhibited pure (" separators="|2 ¯01 ) oriented β-Ga2O3 thin films with six-fold rotational symmetry when grown on a sapphire substrate. The thin films demonstrated significant absorption in the deep-ultraviolet (UV) region with an optical bandgap around 5.0 eV and a refractive index of 1.9. A deep-UV photodetector fabricated on the high quality β-Ga2O3 thin film exhibits high resistance and small dark current (4.25 nA) with expected photoresponse for 254 nm UV light irradiation suggesting that the material grown using the compound source is a potential candidate for deep-ultraviolet photodetectors.

  13. X-ray characterization of CdO thin films grown on a-, c-, r- and m-plane sapphire by metalorganic vapour phase-epitaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zuniga-Perez, J.; Martinez-Tomas, C.; Munoz-Sanjose, V. [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada y Electromagnetismo, Universitat de Valencia, C/Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot (Spain)

    2005-02-01

    CdO thin films have been grown on a-plane (11 anti 20), c-plane (0001), r-plane (01 anti 12) and m-plane (10 anti 10) sapphire substrates by metalorganic vapour-phase epitaxy (MOVPE). The effects of different substrate orientations on the structural properties of the films have been analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction, including {theta}-2{theta} scans, pole figures and rocking curves. (111), (001) and (110) orientations are found on a-, r-, and m-sapphire respectively, while films deposited on c-plane exhibit an orientation in which no low-index crystal plane is parallel to the sample surface. The recorded pole figures have allowed determining the epitaxial relationships between films and substrates, as well as the presence or absence of extended defects. The rocking curves indicate that high quality thin films, in terms of tilt and twist, can be obtained on r-, c- and m-plane sapphire, while further improvement is needed over the a-orientation. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  14. X-ray characterization of CdO thin films grown on a-, c-, r- and m-plane sapphire by metalorganic vapour phase-epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zuniga-Perez, J.; Martinez-Tomas, C.; Munoz-Sanjose, V.

    2005-01-01

    CdO thin films have been grown on a-plane (11 anti 20), c-plane (0001), r-plane (01 anti 12) and m-plane (10 anti 10) sapphire substrates by metalorganic vapour-phase epitaxy (MOVPE). The effects of different substrate orientations on the structural properties of the films have been analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction, including θ-2θ scans, pole figures and rocking curves. (111), (001) and (110) orientations are found on a-, r-, and m-sapphire respectively, while films deposited on c-plane exhibit an orientation in which no low-index crystal plane is parallel to the sample surface. The recorded pole figures have allowed determining the epitaxial relationships between films and substrates, as well as the presence or absence of extended defects. The rocking curves indicate that high quality thin films, in terms of tilt and twist, can be obtained on r-, c- and m-plane sapphire, while further improvement is needed over the a-orientation. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  15. Epitaxial growth of metallic buffer layer structure and c-axis oriented Pb(Mn1/3,Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin film on Si for high performance piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thao, Pham Ngoc; Yoshida, Shinya; Tanaka, Shuji

    2017-12-01

    This paper reports on the development of a metallic buffer layer structure, (100) SrRuO3 (SRO)/(100) Pt/(100) Ir/(100) yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) layers for the epitaxial growth of a c-axis oriented Pb(Mn1/3,Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PMnN-PZT) thin film on a (100) Si wafer for piezoelectric micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS) application. The stacking layers were epitaxially grown on a Si substrate under the optimal deposition condition. A crack-free PMnN-PZT epitaxial thin films was obtained at a thickness up to at least 1.7 µm, which is enough for MEMS applications. The unimorph MEMS cantilevers based on the PMnN-PZT thin film were fabricated and characterized. As a result, the PMnN-PZT thin film exhibited -10 to -12 C/m2 as a piezoelectric coefficient e 31,f and ˜250 as a dielectric constants ɛr. The resultant FOM for piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (pMUT) is higher than those of general PZT and AlN thin films. This structure has a potential to provide high-performance pMUTs.

  16. Reversible pyroelectric and photogalvanic current in epitaxial Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, J.; Esayan, S.; Prohaska, J.; Safari, A.

    1994-01-01

    The pyroelectric and photogalvanic effects have been studied in epitaxial Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) thin films. Photoinduced currents, which were completely reversible by electrical voltage, were observed. The photoinduced currents exhibited transient and steady state components. The transient component, in turn, consisted of two components with fast (<1 s) and slow (˜hours) relaxation times. The mechanisms of the photoinduced currents in PZT films and their possible applications in nondestructive readout ferroelectric memory are discussed.

  17. YBCO hot-electron bolometers dedicated to THz detection and imaging: Embedding issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aurino, M; Tuerer, I; Martinez, A; Gensbittel, A; Degardin, A F; Kreisler, A J

    2010-01-01

    High-T c hot-electron bolometers (HEB) are an interesting alternative to other superconducting heterodyne mixers in the terahertz frequency range because of low-cost cooling investment, ultra-wide instantaneous bandwidth and low intrinsic noise level, even at 80 K. A technological process to fabricate stacked yttrium-based (YBCO) / praseodymium-based (PBCO) ultra-thin films (in the 15 to 40 nm thickness range) etched to form 0.5 μm x 0.5 μm constrictions, elaborated on (100) MgO substrates, has been previously described. Ageing effects were also considered, with the consequence of increased electrical resistance, significant degradation of the regular THz response and no HEB mixing action. Electron and UV lithography steps are revisited here to realize HEB mixers based on nano-bridges covered by a log-periodic planar gold antenna, dedicated to the 1 to 7 THz range. Several measures have been attempted to reduce the conversion losses, mainly by considering the embedding issues related to the YBCO nano-bridge impedance matching to the antenna and the design of optimized intermediate frequency circuitry. Antenna simulations were performed and validated through experiments on scaled models at GHz frequencies. Electromagnetic coupling to the incoming radiation was also studied, including crosstalk between neighbour antennas forming a linear imaging array.

  18. Probing localized strain in solution-derived YB a2C u3O7 -δ nanocomposite thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guzman, Roger; Gazquez, Jaume; Mundet, Bernat; Coll, Mariona; Obradors, Xavier; Puig, Teresa

    2017-07-01

    Enhanced pinning due to nanoscale strain is unique to the high-Tc cuprates, where pairing may be modified with lattice distortion. Therefore a comprehensive understanding of the defect landscape is required for a broad range of applications. However, determining the type and distribution of defects and their associated strain constitutes a critical task, and for this aim, real-space techniques for atomic resolution characterization are necessary. Here, we use scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to study the atomic structure of individual defects of solution-derived YB a2C u3O7 (YBCO) nanocomposites, where the inclusion of incoherent secondary phase nanoparticles within the YBCO matrix dramatically increases the density of Y1B a2C u4O8 (Y124) intergrowths, the commonest defect in YBCO thin films. The formation of the Y124 is found to trigger a concatenation of strain-derived interactions with other defects and the concomitant nucleation of intrinsic defects, which weave a web of randomly distributed nanostrained regions that profoundly transform the vortex-pinning landscape of the YBCO nanocomposite thin films.

  19. Epitaxially grown strained pentacene thin film on graphene membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kwanpyo; Santos, Elton J G; Lee, Tae Hoon; Nishi, Yoshio; Bao, Zhenan

    2015-05-06

    Organic-graphene system has emerged as a new platform for various applications such as flexible organic photovoltaics and organic light emitting diodes. Due to its important implication in charge transport, the study and reliable control of molecular packing structures at the graphene-molecule interface are of great importance for successful incorporation of graphene in related organic devices. Here, an ideal membrane of suspended graphene as a molecular assembly template is utilized to investigate thin-film epitaxial behaviors. Using transmission electron microscopy, two distinct molecular packing structures of pentacene on graphene are found. One observed packing structure is similar to the well-known bulk-phase, which adapts a face-on molecular orientation on graphene substrate. On the other hand, a rare polymorph of pentacene crystal, which shows significant strain along the c-axis, is identified. In particular, the strained film exhibits a specific molecular orientation and a strong azimuthal correlation with underlying graphene. Through ab initio electronic structure calculations, including van der Waals interactions, the unusual polymorph is attributed to the strong graphene-pentacene interaction. The observed strained organic film growth on graphene demonstrates the possibility to tune molecular packing via graphene-molecule interactions. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Development of 1 m HTS conductor using YBCO on textured metal substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yagi, M.; Sakamoto, H.; Mukoyama, S.; Yamamoto, K.; Amemiya, N.; Nagaya, S.; Kashima, N.; Shiohara, Y.

    2009-01-01

    We fabricated 1 m high temperature superconducting conductor (HTS conductor) using YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x coated conductors (YBCO tapes) on textured metal substrates, which are expected to be lower in cost than YBCO tapes using ion-beam assisted deposition. Those substrate and intermediate layers were manufactured by Furukawa Electric, and YBCO and a protective layer were applied to the intermediate layer by Chubu Electric Power. Before fabricating the conductor, a 0.1 mm thick copper tape was soldered to the YBCO tape, and 10 mm wide YBCO tape was divided into three strips by a YAG laser. To have sufficient current capacity for 1 kA, a two-layer conductor was fabricated, and its critical current (I c ) was 1976 A, but the magnetic properties of the textured metal substrates affected the increase in AC loss. In a low current region, the AC loss in this conductor was much higher than the Norris strip model, but approached the Norris strip model in the high current region because the magnetization was almost saturated. Low AC loss of 0.144 W/m at 1 kA rms was achieved even though the conductor had a small outer diameter of 20 mm and was composed of YBCO tapes with magnetic substrates.

  1. Magneto-transport and thermoelectric properties of epitaxial FeSb{sub 2} thin film on MgO substrate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duong, Anh Tuan; Rhim, S. H., E-mail: sonny@ulsan.ac.kr; Shin, Yooleemi; Nguyen, Van Quang; Cho, Sunglae, E-mail: slcho@ulsan.ac.kr [Department of Physics and Energy Harvest-Storage Research Center, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 680-749 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-01-19

    We report magneto-transport and thermoelectric properties of FeSb{sub 2} thin film epitaxially grown on the MgO substrate using molecular beam epitaxy. The film exhibits compressive strain of 1.74% owing to large lattice mismatch, whose physical consequences are nontrivial. Magnetic phase has been changed from diamagnetic in bulk, as evidenced by anomalous Hall effect (AHE) and negative magneto-resistance (MR). The FeSb{sub 2} film is semiconducting without any metallic transition unlike the bulk counterpart. In particular, hysteresis in MR with distinct feature of AHE is evident with coercive field of 500 and 110 Oe for T = 20 and 50 K, respectively. Furthermore, from the Seebeck coefficients and temperature dependence of the resistivity, it is evident that the film is semiconducting with small band gap: 3.76 meV for T < 40 K and 13.48 meV for T > 40 K, respectively, where maximum thermoelectric power factor of 12 μV/cm·K at T = 50 K.

  2. Characterization of reclaimed GaAs substrates and investigation of reuse for thin film InGaAlP LED epitaxial growth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Englhard, M.; Klemp, C.; Behringer, M.; Rudolph, A. [OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH, Leibnizstr. 4, 93055 Regensburg (Germany); Skibitzki, O.; Zaumseil, P. [IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt (Oder) (Germany); Schroeder, T. [IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt (Oder) (Germany); Institute of Physics and Chemistry, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 03046 Cottbus (Germany)

    2016-07-28

    This study reports a method to reuse GaAs substrates with a batch process for thin film light emitting diode (TF-LED) production. The method is based on an epitaxial lift-off technique. With the developed reclaim process, it is possible to get an epi-ready GaAs surface without additional time-consuming and expensive grinding/polishing processes. The reclaim and regrowth process was investigated with a one layer epitaxial test structure. The GaAs surface was characterized by an atomic force microscope directly after the reclaim process. The crystal structure of the regrown In{sub 0.5}(Ga{sub 0.45}Al{sub 0.55}){sub 0.5}P (Q{sub 55}) layer was investigated by high resolution x-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy. In addition, a complete TF-LED grown on reclaimed GaAs substrates was electro-optically characterized on wafer level. The crystal structure of the epitaxial layers and the performance of the TF-LED grown on reclaimed substrates are not influenced by the developed reclaim process. This process would result in reducing costs for LEDs and reducing much arsenic waste for the benefit of a green semiconductor production.

  3. Abstracts of 4. International Workshop on Molecular Beam Epitaxy and Vapour Phase Epitaxy Growth Physics and Technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    4. International Workshop on Molecular Beam Epitaxy and Vapour Phase Epitaxy Growth Physics and Technology is the periodically held forum for discussion the problems connected with manufacturing of different nanostructures (thin films, quantum wells, quantum dots) needed in microelectronics. Preparation of such materials with desirable optical, electrical and magnetic properties being determined by their chemical composition and crystal structure has been discussed in detail during the workshop sessions. Optimization of crystal growth methods such as VPE and MBE from the view point of obtained material properties has also been extensively discussed

  4. Detection of smaller Jc region and damage in YBCO coated conductors by using permanent magnet method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hattori, K.; Saito, A.; Takano, Y.; Suzuki, T.; Yamada, H.; Takayama, T.; Kamitani, A.; Ohshima, S.

    2011-01-01

    We developed a non-destructive method for measuring the critical current density (J c ) in YBCO-coated conductors by using a permanent magnet (Sm 2 Co 17 ). J c could be determined from the repulsive force (F r ) generated between a permanent magnet and a coated conductor where shielding current flows. We also examined the influence of damage to the film on the J c distribution. The measured F r when the permanent magnet approached the cut part was smaller than that of the undamaged area. We developed a non-destructive method for measuring the critical current density (J c ) in YBCO-coated conductors by using a permanent magnet (Sm 2 Co 17 ). J c could be determined from the repulsive force (F r ) generated between a permanent magnet and a coated conductor where shielding current flows. We tried to detect a smaller J c region in the coated conductor by using the system. The J c distribution could be determined without influence from the thick copper film on YBCO thin film. We also examined the influence of damage to the film on the J c distribution. The surface of the coated conductors was cut by using a knife. The measured F r when the permanent magnet approached the cut part was smaller than that of the undamaged area. This J c measurement technique will be useful for detecting smaller J c regions and defects in coated conductors.

  5. Misfit strain dependence of ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of clamped (001) epitaxial Pb(Zr0.52,Ti0.48)O3 thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Minh D.; Dekkers, Matthijn; Houwman, Evert; Steenwelle, Ruud; Wan, Xin; Roelofs, Andreas; Schmitz-Kempen, Thorsten; Rijnders, Guus

    2011-12-01

    A study on the effects of the residual strain in Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) thin films on the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties is presented. Epitaxial (001)-oriented PZT thin film capacitors are sandwiched between SrRuO3 electrodes. The thin film stacks are grown on different substrate-buffer-layer combinations by pulsed laser deposition. Compressive or tensile strain caused by the difference in thermal expansion of the PZT film and substrate influences the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. All the PZT stacks show ferroelectric and piezoelectric behavior that is consistent with the theoretical model for strained thin films in the ferroelectric r-phase. We conclude that clamped (001) oriented Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 thin films strained by the substrate always show rotation of the polarization vector.

  6. Epitaxial growth of bcc-FexCo100-x thin films on MgO(1 1 0) single-crystal substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohtake, Mitsuru; Nishiyama, Tsutomu; Shikada, Kouhei; Kirino, Fumiyoshi; Futamoto, Masaaki

    2010-01-01

    Fe x Co 100-x (x=100, 65, 50 at%) epitaxial thin films were prepared on MgO(1 1 0) single-crystal substrates heated at 300 deg. C by ultra-high vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The film structure and the growth mechanism are discussed. FeCo(2 1 1) films with bcc structure grow epitaxially on MgO(1 1 0) substrates with two types of variants whose orientations are rotated around the film normal by 180 deg. each other for all compositions. Fe x Co 100-x film growth follows the Volmer Weber mode. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings are in agreement with the values of respective bulk Fe x Co 100-x crystals with very small errors less than ±0.4%, suggesting the strains in the films are very small. High-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy shows that periodical misfit dislocations are preferentially introduced in the film at the Fe 50 Co 50 /MgO interface along the MgO[1 1-bar 0] direction. The presence of such periodical dislocations decreases the large lattice mismatch of about -17% existing at the FeCo/MgO interface along the MgO[1 1-bar 0] direction.

  7. Epitaxial growth of Sb-doped nonpolar a-plane ZnO thin films on r-plane sapphire substrates by RF magnetron sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Hou-Guang, E-mail: houguang@isu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 840, Taiwan (China); Hung, Sung-Po [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 840, Taiwan (China)

    2014-02-15

    Highlights: ► Sb-doped nonpolar a-plane ZnO layers were epitaxially grown on sapphire substrates. ► Crystallinity and electrical properties were studied upon growth condition and doping concentration. ► The out-of-plane lattice spacing of ZnO films reduces monotonically with increasing Sb doping level. ► The p-type conductivity of ZnO:Sb film is closely correlated with annealing condition and Sb doping level. -- Abstract: In this study, the epitaxial growth of Sb-doped nonpolar a-plane (112{sup ¯}0) ZnO thin films on r-plane (11{sup ¯}02) sapphire substrates was performed by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The influence of the sputter deposition conditions and Sb doping concentration on the microstructural and electrical properties of Sb-doped ZnO epitaxial films was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the Hall-effect measurement. The measurement of the XRD phi-scan indicated that the epitaxial relationship between the ZnO:Sb layer and sapphire substrate was (112{sup ¯}0){sub ZnO}//(11{sup ¯}02){sub Al{sub 2O{sub 3}}} and [11{sup ¯}00]{sub ZnO}//[112{sup ¯}0]{sub Al{sub 2O{sub 3}}}. The out-of-plane a-axis lattice parameter of ZnO films was reduced monotonically with the increasing Sb doping level. The cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) observation confirmed the absence of any significant antimony oxide phase segregation across the thickness of the Sb-doped ZnO epitaxial film. However, the epitaxial quality of the films deteriorated as the level of Sb dopant increased. The electrical properties of ZnO:Sb film are closely correlated with post-annealing conditions and Sb doping concentrations.

  8. Detection of second harmonic of phase dependence of superconducting current in Nb/Au/YBCO heterojunctions

    CERN Document Server

    Komissinskij, F V; Ilichev, E V; Ivanov, Z G

    2001-01-01

    The results of the experimental study on the current phase dependence (CPD) of the heterotransitions, consisting of the niobium and the YBa sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub x (YBCO) film with an additional interlayer from gold (Nb/Au/YBCO) are presented. The CPD measurement is carried out through the radiofrequency superconducting quantum interferometer. The CPD second harmonic is determined in the Nb/Au/YBCO heterotransitions. Possible causes of its appearance are discussed within the frames of the d +- s combined symmetry of the YBCO order parameter. One of the causes of the CPD second harmonic appearance is the twinning of the YBCO films (001). The second cause of existing the anomalously high critical current consists in the availability of the Nb/Au boundary with the transparence of approx 10 sup - sup 1 in the Nb/Au/YBCO

  9. The α-particle excited scintillation response of YAG:Ce thin films grown by liquid phase epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prusa, Petr; Nikl, Martin; Mares, Jiri A.; Nitsch, Karel; Beitlerova, Alena; Kucera, Miroslav

    2009-01-01

    Y 3 Al 5 O 12 :Ce (YAG:Ce) thin films were grown from PbO-,BaO-, and MoO 3 -based fluxes using the liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) method. Photoelectron yield, its time dependence within 0.5-10 μs shaping time, and energy resolution of these samples were measured under α-particle excitation. For comparison a sample of the Czochralski grown bulk YAG:Ce single crystal was measured as well. Photoelectron yield values of samples grown from the BaO-based flux were found superior to other LPE films and comparable with that of the bulk single crystal. The same is valid also for the time dependence of photoelectron yield. Obtained results are discussed taking into account the influence of the flux and technology used. Additionally, α particle energy deposition in very thin films is modelled and discussed. (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  10. Recent results in characterization of melt-grown and quench-melt- grown YBCO superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balachandran, U.; Poeppel, R.B.; Gangopadhyay, A.K.

    1992-02-01

    From the standpoint of applications, melt-grown (MG) and quench-melt-grown (QMG) bulk YBCO superconductors are of considerable interest. In this paper, we studied the intragranular critical current density (J c ), the apparent pinning potential (U o ), and the irreversibility temperature (T irr ) of MG and QMG samples and compared the results to those for conventionally sintered YBCO. A systematic increase in U o and a slower drop in J c with temperature indicate a systematic improvement in flux-pinning properties in progressing from the sintered YBCO to QMG and MG samples. Weaker pinning is observed in the QMG YBCO than in the MG samples

  11. Epitaxial growth and electronic structure of oxyhydride SrVO2H thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katayama, Tsukasa; Chikamatsu, Akira; Yamada, Keisuke; Shigematsu, Kei; Onozuka, Tomoya; Minohara, Makoto; Kumigashira, Hiroshi; Ikenaga, Eiji; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

    2016-08-01

    Oxyhydride SrVO2H epitaxial thin films were fabricated on SrTiO3 substrates via topotactic hydridation of oxide SrVO3 films using CaH2. Structural and composition analyses suggested that the SrVO2H film possessed one-dimensionally ordered V-H--V bonds along the out-of-plane direction. The synthesis temperature could be lowered by reducing the film thickness, and the SrVO2H film was reversible to SrVO3 by oxidation through annealing in air. Photoemission and X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements revealed the V3+ valence state in the SrVO2H film, indicating that the hydrogen existed as hydride. Furthermore, the electronic density of states was highly suppressed at the Fermi energy, consistent with the prediction that tetragonal distortion induces metal to insulation transition.

  12. Composition-induced structural, electrical, and magnetic phase transitions in AX-type mixed-valence cobalt oxynitride epitaxial thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takahashi, Jumpei; Oka, Daichi [Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); Hirose, Yasushi, E-mail: hirose@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Yang, Chang; Fukumura, Tomoteru; Hasegawa, Tetsuya [Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Nakao, Shoichiro [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Harayama, Isao; Sekiba, Daiichiro [University of Tsukuba Tandem Accelerator Complex (UTTAC), 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 (Japan)

    2015-12-07

    Synthesis of mid- to late-transition metal oxynitrides is generally difficult by conventional thermal ammonolysis because of thermal instability. In this letter, we synthesized epitaxial thin films of AX-type phase-pure cobalt oxynitrides (CoO{sub x}N{sub y}) by using nitrogen-plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition and investigated their structural, electrical, and magnetic properties. The CoO{sub x}N{sub y} thin films with 0 ≤ y/(x + y) ≤ 0.63 grown on MgO (100) substrates showed a structural phase transition from rock salt (RS) to zinc blend at the nitrogen content y/(x + y) ∼ 0.5. As the nitrogen content increased, the room-temperature electrical resistivity of the CoO{sub x}N{sub y} thin films monotonically decreased from the order of 10{sup 5} Ω cm to 10{sup −4} Ω cm. Furthermore, we observed an insulator-to-metal transition at y/(x + y) ∼ 0.34 in the RS-CoO{sub x}N{sub y} phase, which has not yet been reported in Co{sup 2+}/Co{sup 3+} mixed-valence cobalt oxides with octahedral coordination. The low resistivity in the RS-CoO{sub x}N{sub y} phase, on the 10{sup −3} Ω cm order, may have originated from the intermediate spin state of Co{sup 3+} stabilized by the lowered crystal field symmetry of the CoO{sub 6−n}N{sub n} octahedra (n = 1, 2,…5). Magnetization measurements suggested that a magnetic phase transition occurred in the RS-CoO{sub x}N{sub y} films during the insulator-to-metal transition. These results demonstrate that low-temperature epitaxial growth is a promising approach for exploring novel electronic functionalities in oxynitrides.

  13. Composition-induced structural, electrical, and magnetic phase transitions in AX-type mixed-valence cobalt oxynitride epitaxial thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Jumpei; Oka, Daichi; Hirose, Yasushi; Yang, Chang; Fukumura, Tomoteru; Hasegawa, Tetsuya; Nakao, Shoichiro; Harayama, Isao; Sekiba, Daiichiro

    2015-01-01

    Synthesis of mid- to late-transition metal oxynitrides is generally difficult by conventional thermal ammonolysis because of thermal instability. In this letter, we synthesized epitaxial thin films of AX-type phase-pure cobalt oxynitrides (CoO x N y ) by using nitrogen-plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition and investigated their structural, electrical, and magnetic properties. The CoO x N y thin films with 0 ≤ y/(x + y) ≤ 0.63 grown on MgO (100) substrates showed a structural phase transition from rock salt (RS) to zinc blend at the nitrogen content y/(x + y) ∼ 0.5. As the nitrogen content increased, the room-temperature electrical resistivity of the CoO x N y thin films monotonically decreased from the order of 10 5  Ω cm to 10 −4  Ω cm. Furthermore, we observed an insulator-to-metal transition at y/(x + y) ∼ 0.34 in the RS-CoO x N y phase, which has not yet been reported in Co 2+ /Co 3+ mixed-valence cobalt oxides with octahedral coordination. The low resistivity in the RS-CoO x N y phase, on the 10 −3  Ω cm order, may have originated from the intermediate spin state of Co 3+ stabilized by the lowered crystal field symmetry of the CoO 6−n N n octahedra (n = 1, 2,…5). Magnetization measurements suggested that a magnetic phase transition occurred in the RS-CoO x N y films during the insulator-to-metal transition. These results demonstrate that low-temperature epitaxial growth is a promising approach for exploring novel electronic functionalities in oxynitrides

  14. Epitaxial growth of rhenium with sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oh, Seongshik [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States) and Department of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)]. E-mail: soh@boulder.nist.gov; Hite, Dustin A. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Cicak, K. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Osborn, Kevin D. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Simmonds, Raymond W. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); McDermott, Robert [University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Cooper, Ken B. [University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Steffen, Matthias [University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Martinis, John M. [University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Pappas, David P. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States)

    2006-02-21

    We have grown epitaxial Rhenium (Re) (0001) films on {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (0001) substrates using sputter deposition in an ultra high vacuum system. We find that better epitaxy is achieved with DC rather than with RF sputtering. With DC sputtering, epitaxy is obtained with the substrate temperatures above 700 deg. C and deposition rates below 0.1 nm/s. The epitaxial Re films are typically composed of terraced hexagonal islands with screw dislocations, and island size gets larger with high temperature post-deposition annealing. The growth starts in a three dimensional mode but transforms into two dimensional mode as the film gets thicker. With a thin ({approx}2 nm) seed layer deposited at room temperature and annealed at a high temperature, the initial three dimensional growth can be suppressed. This results in larger islands when a thick film is grown at 850 deg. C on the seed layer. We also find that when a room temperature deposited Re film is annealed to higher temperatures, epitaxial features start to show up above {approx}600 deg. C, but the film tends to be disordered.

  15. Epitaxial growth and characterization of CuGa2O4 films by laser molecular beam epitaxy

    OpenAIRE

    Hongling Wei; Zhengwei Chen; Zhenping Wu; Wei Cui; Yuanqi Huang; Weihua Tang

    2017-01-01

    Ga2O3 with a wide bandgap of ∼ 4.9 eV can crystalize in five crystalline phases. Among those phases, the most stable monoclinic β-Ga2O3 has been studied most, however, it is hard to find materials lattice matching with β-Ga2O3 to grown epitaxial thin films for optoelectronic applications. In this work, CuGa2O4 bulk were prepared by solid state reaction as target, and the films were deposited on sapphire substrates by laser molecular beam epitaxy (L-MBE) at different substrate temperatures. Th...

  16. Multiferroic fluoride BaCoF4 Thin Films Grown Via Molecular Beam Epitaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borisov, Pavel; Johnson, Trent; García-Castro, Camilo; Kc, Amit; Schrecongost, Dustin; Cen, Cheng; Romero, Aldo; Lederman, David

    Multiferroic materials exhibit exciting physics related to the simultaneous presence of multiple long-range orders, in many cases consisting of antiferromagnetic (AF) and ferroelectric (FE) orderings. In order to provide a new, promising route for fluoride-based multiferroic material engineering, we grew multiferroic fluoride BaCoF4 in thin film form on Al2O3 (0001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The films grow with the orthorhombic b-axis out-of-plane and with three in-plane structural twin domains along the polar c-axis directions. The FE ordering in thin films was verified by FE remanent hysteresis loops measurements at T = 14 K and by room temperature piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). An AF behavior was found below Neel temperature TN ~ 80 K, which is in agreement with the bulk properties. At lower temperatures two additional magnetic phase transitions at 19 K and 41 K were found. First-principles calculations demonstrated that the growth strain applied to the bulk BaCoF4 indeed favors two canted spin orders, along the b- and a-axes, respectively, in addition to the main AF spin order along the c-axis. Supported by FAME (Contract 2013-MA-2382), WV Research Challenge Grant (HEPC.dsr.12.29), and DMREF-NSF 1434897.

  17. Anisotropic ferromagnetic behaviors in highly orientated epitaxial NiO-based thin films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Jun Zhang

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Antiferromagnetic materials attract a great amount of attention recently for promising antiferromagnet-based spintronics applications. NiO is a conventional antiferromagnetic semiconductor material and can show ferromagnetism by doping other magnetic elements. In this work, we synthesized epitaxial Fe-doped NiO thin films on SrTiO3 substrates with various crystal orientations by pulsed laser deposition. The room-temperature ferromagnetism of these films is anisotropic, including the saturated magnetization and the coercive field. The anisotropic magnetic behaviors of Fe-doped NiO diluted magnetic oxide system should be closely correlated to the magnetic structure of antiferromagnetic NiO base. Within the easy plane of NiO, the coercive field of the films becomes smaller, and larger coercive field while tested out of the easy plane of NiO. The saturated magnetization anisotropy is due to different strain applied by different substrates. These results lead us to more abundant knowledge of the exchange interactions in this conventional antiferromagnetic system.

  18. Advanced fabrication method for the preparation of MOF thin films: Liquid-phase epitaxy approach meets spin coating method.

    KAUST Repository

    Chernikova, Valeriya

    2016-07-14

    Here we report a new and advanced method for the fabrication of highly oriented/polycrystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films. Building on the attractive features of the liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) approach, a facile spin coating method was implemented to generate MOF thin films in a high-throughput fashion. Advantageously, this approach offers a great prospective to cost-effectively construct thin-films with a significantly shortened preparation time and a lessened chemicals and solvents consumption, as compared to the conventional LPE-process. Certainly, this new spin-coating approach has been implemented successfully to construct various MOF thin films, ranging in thickness from a few micrometers down to the nanometer scale, spanning 2-D and 3-D benchmark MOF materials including Cu2(bdc)2•xH2O, Zn2(bdc)2•xH2O, HKUST-1 and ZIF-8. This method was appraised and proved effective on a variety of substrates comprising functionalized gold, silicon, glass, porous stainless steel and aluminum oxide. The facile, high-throughput and cost-effective nature of this approach, coupled with the successful thin film growth and substrate versatility, represents the next generation of methods for MOF thin film fabrication. Thereby paving the way for these unique MOF materials to address a wide range of challenges in the areas of sensing devices and membrane technology.

  19. Vortex pinning landscape in MOD-TFA YBCO nanostroctured films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutierrez, J.; Puig, T.; Pomar, A.; Obradors, X.

    2008-03-01

    A methodology of general validity to study vortex pinning in YBCO based on Jc transport measurements is described. It permits to identify, separate and quantify three basic vortex pinning contributions associated to anisotropic-strong, isotropic-strong and isotropic-weak pinning centers. Thereof, the corresponding vortex pinning phase diagrams are built up. This methodology is applied to the new solution-derived YBCO nanostructured films, including controlled interfacial pinning by the growth of nanostructured templates by means of self-assembled processes [1] and YBCO-BaZrO3 nanocomposites prepared by modified solution precursors. The application of the methodology and comparison with a standard solution-derived YBCO film [2], enables us to identify the nature and the effect of the additional pinning centers induced. The nanostructured templates films show c-axis pinning strongly increased, controlling most of the pinning phase diagram. On the other hand, the nanocomposites have achieved so far, the highest pinning properties in HTc-superconductors [3], being the isotropic-strong defects contribution the origin of their unique properties. [1] M. Gibert et al, Adv. Mat. vol 19, p. 3937 (2007) [2] Puig.T et al, SuST EUCAS 2007 (to be published) [3] J. Gutierrez et al, Nat. Mat. vol. 6, p. 367 (2007) * Work supported by HIPERCHEM, NANOARTIS and MAT2005-02047

  20. Application of HTSC-thin films in microwave bandpass filters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jha, A.R.

    1993-01-01

    This paper reveals unique performance capabilities of High-Temperature Superconducting Thin-Film (HTSCTFs) for possible applications in microwave bandpass filters (BPFs). Microwave filters fabricated with HTSCTFs have demonstrated lowest insertion loss, highest rejection, and sharpest skirt selectivity. Thin films of Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO), Bismuth Strontium Calcium Copper Oxide (BSCCO) and Thallium Calcium Barium Copper Oxide (TCBCO) will be most attractive for filters

  1. Optical characterization of epitaxial single crystal CdTe thin films on Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (0001) substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jovanovic, S.M.; Devenyi, G.A., E-mail: devenyga@mcmaster.ca; Jarvis, V.M.; Meinander, K.; Haapamaki, C.M.; Kuyanov, P.; Gerber, M.; LaPierre, R.R.; Preston, J.S.

    2014-11-03

    The optoelectronic properties of single crystal CdTe thin films were investigated by photoluminescence spectroscopy, photoreflectance spectroscopy and variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry. The room temperature bandgap was measured to be 1.51 eV and was consistent between spectroscopic measurements and previously reported values. Breadth of bandgap emission was consistent with high quality material. Low temperature photoluminescence spectra indicated a dominant emission consistent with bound excitons. Emissions corresponding to self-compensation defects, doping and contaminants were not found. Variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements over the near-UV to infrared range demonstrated sharp resonance peaks. All spectroscopic measurements indicate high quality thin film material of comparable or better quality than bulk CdTe. - Highlights: • High quality epitaxial CdTe thin films were grown. • Two dimensional X-ray diffraction characterization confirmed single crystal material. • Photoluminescence indicated low defect density when compared to bulk single crystals. • Optical characterization indicated the presence of room temperature excitons.

  2. Epitaxial TiN(001) wetting layer for growth of thin single-crystal Cu(001)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chawla, J. S.; Zhang, X. Y.; Gall, D. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180 (United States)

    2011-08-15

    Single-crystal Cu(001) layers, 4-1400 nm thick, were deposited on MgO(001) with and without a 2.5-nm-thick TiN(001) buffer layer. X-ray diffraction and reflection indicate that the TiN(001) surface suppresses Cu-dewetting, yielding a 4 x lower defect density and a 9 x smaller surface roughness than if grown on MgO(001) at 25 deg. C. In situ and low temperature electron transport measurements indicate that ultra-thin (4 nm) Cu(001) remains continuous and exhibits partial specular scattering at the Cu-vacuum boundary with a Fuchs-Sondheimer specularity parameter p = 0.6 {+-} 0.2, suggesting that the use of epitaxial wetting layers is a promising approach to create low-resistivity single-crystal Cu nanoelectronic interconnects.

  3. Overgrowth of cracks in YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6+δ}-thin films grown on SrTiO{sub 3}- and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ackermann, Kai; Haenisch, Jens; Holzapfel, Bernhard [Institut fuer Technische Physik, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

    2016-07-01

    High temperature superconducting materials like REBCO-thin films offer a wide range of applications like superconducting transformers, cables, coils or fault current limiters. Although the number of applications is increasing the REBCO-coated conductor length is still limited due to substrate and thin film fabrication defects. In order to improve the manufacturing processes of REBCO-coated conductors the growth behavior of REBCO-thin films on defective or broken substrate surfaces has to be understood. Therefore we investigated the structural and electronic properties of YBCO-thin films grown on cracked SrTiO{sub 3}- and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-substrates. The YBCO-films were prepared by using metalorganic (MOD) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Structural and electronic properties of the YBCO-films were investigated by using x-ray diffractometry, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and temperature- and magnetic field-dependent conductivity measurements.

  4. Reclamation of a molecular beam epitaxy system and conversion for oxide epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carver, Alexander G.; Henderson, Walter; Doolittle, W. Alan

    2008-01-01

    An early 1980s vintage molecular beam epitaxy system, a Varian Gen II system, originally used for HgCdTe epitaxy, was converted into a system capable of growing thin-film complex metal oxides. The nature of some of the alternative oxides requires a thorough cleaning and, in some cases, complete replacement of system components. Details are provided regarding the chemistry of the etchants used, safety requirements for properly handling, and disposal of large quantities of etchants and etch by-products, and components that can be reused versus components that require replacement are given. Following the given procedures, an ultimate base pressure of 2x10 -10 Torr was obtained. Films grown in the system after reclamation contained no evidence of previously present materials down to the detection limit of secondary ion mass spectrometry

  5. Enhanced piezoelectric properties of (110)-oriented PbZr1−xTixO3 epitaxial thin films on silicon substrates at shifted morphotropic phase boundary

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wan, X.; Houwman, Evert Pieter; Steenwelle, Ruud Johannes Antonius; van Schaijk, R.; Nguyen, Duc Minh; Dekkers, Jan M.; Rijnders, Augustinus J.H.M.

    2014-01-01

    Piezoelectrical, ferroelectrical, and structural properties of epitaxial pseudocubic (110)pc oriented 500 nm thick PbZr1−xTixO3 thin films, prepared by pulsed laser deposition on (001) silicon substrates, were measured as a function of composition. The dependence of the measurement data on the Ti

  6. CeCo5 thin films with perpendicular anisotropy grown by molecular beam epitaxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, S.; Hildebrandt, E.; Major, M.; Komissinskiy, P.; Radulov, I.; Alff, L.

    2018-04-01

    Buffer-free, highly textured (0 0 1) oriented CeCo5 thin films showing perpendicular magnetic anisotropy were synthesized on (0 0 1) Al2O3 substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Ce exists in a mixture of Ce3+ and Ce4+ valence states as shown by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The first anisotropy constant, K1, as measured by torque magnetometry was 0.82 MJ/m3 (8.2 ×106erg /cm3) . A maximum coercivity of 5.16 kOe with a negative temperature coefficient of -0.304%K-1 and a magnetization of 527.30 emu/cm3 was measured perpendicular to the film plane at 5 K. In addition, a large anisotropy of the magnetic moment of 15.5% was observed. These magnetic parameters make CeCo5 a potential candidate material for spintronic and magnetic recording applications.

  7. Advanced Photon Source Activity Report 2002 at Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, December 2003 - contribution title:''Microdiffraction Study of Epitaxial Growth and Lattice Tilts in Oxide Films on Polycrystalline Metal Substrates''

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Budai, J.D.

    2004-01-01

    Texture, the preference for a particular crystallographic orientation in polycrystalline materials, plays an important role in controlling such diverse materials properties as corrosion resistance, recording density in magnetic media and electrical transport in superconductors [1]. Without texture, polycrystalline oxide superconductors contain many high-angle, weak-linked grain boundaries which reduce critical current densities by several orders of magnitude [2]. One approach for inducing texture in oxide superconductors has been the epitaxial growth of films on rolling-assisted biaxially-textured substrates (RABiTS) [3]. In this approach, rolled Ni foils are recrystallized under conditions that lead to a high degree of biaxial {001} cube texture. Subsequent deposition of epitaxial oxide buffer layers (typically CeO 2 and YSZ as chemical barriers) and superconducting YBCO preserves the lattice alignment, eliminating high-angle boundaries and enabling high critical current densities, J c > 10 6 /cm 2 . Conventional x-ray diffraction using ω- and φ-scans typically shows macroscopic biaxial texture to within ∼5 o -10 o FWHM for all layers, but does not describe the local microstructural features that control the materials properties. Understanding and controlling the local texture and microstructural evolution of processes associated with heteroepitaxial growth, differential thermal contraction and cracking remain significant challenges in this complex system [4], as well as in many other technologically important thin-film applications

  8. Structural and electrical properties of c-axis epitaxial and polycrystalline Sr sub 3 Bi sub 4 Ti sub 6 O sub 2 sub 1 thin films

    CERN Document Server

    Zhang, S T; Sun, H P; Pan Xiao Qing; Tan, W S; Liu, Z G; Ming, N B

    2003-01-01

    c-axis epitaxial and polycrystalline Sr sub 3 Bi sub 4 Ti sub 6 O sub 2 sub 1 (SBTi) thin films were fabricated on (001)SrTiO sub 3 (STO) single-crystal substrates and Pt/Ti sub 2 /SiO sub 2 /Si substrates respectively, by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Structures of the films were systematically characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), including theta-2 theta-scans, rocking curve scans and phi-scans, atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The epitaxial orientation relation of the SBTi films on STO is established by selected-area electron diffraction and XRD phi-scans to be (001)SBTi || (001)STO, [11-bar 0]SBTi || [010]STO. Cross-sectional high-resolution TEM studies on the epitaxial SBTi film revealed that SBTi is a single-phase material. A special kind of irrational atomic shift along the [001] direction was observed and is discussed in detail. By using an evanescent microwave probe (EMP), the room-temperature dielectric constant of the epitaxial SBTi film was measured to be 21...

  9. Quantitative evaluation about property of thin-film formation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen Huawei [Department of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo (Japan) and School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University (China)]. E-mail: chen_hua_wei@yahoo.com; Hagiwara, Ichiro [Department of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo (Japan); Huang Tian [Department of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University (China); Zhang Dawei [School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University (China)

    2006-03-15

    Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is gradually emphasized as one promising method for nanomaterial formation. Such growth mechanism has been mainly investigated on basis of experiment. Due to large cost of the equipment of experiment and low level of current measurement, the comprehension about authentic effect of formation condition on properties of nanomaterial is limited in qualitative manner. Three quantitative items: flatness of primary deposition, adhesion between cluster and substrate, and degree of epitaxial growth were proposed to evaluate the property of thin film. In this simulation, three different cluster sizes of 203, 653, 1563 atoms with different velocities (0, 10, 100, 1000, 3000 m/s) were deposited on a Cu(0 0 1) substrate whose temperatures were set between 300 and 1000 K. Within one velocity range, not only the speed of epitaxial growth and adhesion between thin film and substrate were enhanced, but also the degree of epitaxy increased and the shape of thin film became more flat with velocity increasing. Moreover, the epitaxial growth became well as the temperature of substrate was raised within a certain range, and the degree of epitaxy of small cluster was larger than larger cluster. The results indicated that the property of thin film could be controlled if the effect of situations of process was made clear.

  10. Quantitative evaluation about property of thin-film formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Huawei; Hagiwara, Ichiro; Huang Tian; Zhang Dawei

    2006-01-01

    Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is gradually emphasized as one promising method for nanomaterial formation. Such growth mechanism has been mainly investigated on basis of experiment. Due to large cost of the equipment of experiment and low level of current measurement, the comprehension about authentic effect of formation condition on properties of nanomaterial is limited in qualitative manner. Three quantitative items: flatness of primary deposition, adhesion between cluster and substrate, and degree of epitaxial growth were proposed to evaluate the property of thin film. In this simulation, three different cluster sizes of 203, 653, 1563 atoms with different velocities (0, 10, 100, 1000, 3000 m/s) were deposited on a Cu(0 0 1) substrate whose temperatures were set between 300 and 1000 K. Within one velocity range, not only the speed of epitaxial growth and adhesion between thin film and substrate were enhanced, but also the degree of epitaxy increased and the shape of thin film became more flat with velocity increasing. Moreover, the epitaxial growth became well as the temperature of substrate was raised within a certain range, and the degree of epitaxy of small cluster was larger than larger cluster. The results indicated that the property of thin film could be controlled if the effect of situations of process was made clear

  11. Deposition studies and coordinated characterization of MOCVD YBCO films on IBAD-MgO templates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aytug, T; Paranthaman, M; Heatherly, L; Zuev, Y; Zhang, Y; Kim, K; Goyal, A; Maroni, V A; Chen, Y; Selvamanickam, V

    2009-01-01

    A recently installed research-scale metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, provided by SuperPower, Inc., has been used to investigate processing variables for MOCVD YBCO precursors and trends in the resulting properties. Systematic studies of YBCO film growth on LaMnO 3 /IBAD-MgO templates were carried out by optimizing deposition temperature and oxygen flow rate. Microstructural and superconducting properties of the YBCO films were analyzed by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transport measurements. The identification of intermediate phases formed during the YBCO precursor transformation was investigated by coordinated reel-to-reel Raman microprobe analysis. With this combination of various characterization techniques, an improved understanding of the growth characteristics of MOCVD YBCO films was established. Finally, critical current densities greater than 2 MA cm -2 for film thicknesses of 0.8 μm were demonstrated.

  12. Deposition studies and coordinated characterization of MOCVD YBCO films on IBAD-MgO templates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aytug, T; Paranthaman, M [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Heatherly, L; Zuev, Y; Zhang, Y; Kim, K; Goyal, A [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Maroni, V A [Argonne National Laboratory, Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Chen, Y; Selvamanickam, V [SuperPower, Incorporated, 450 Duane Avenue, Schenectady, NY 12304 (United States)], E-mail: aytugt@ornl.gov

    2009-01-15

    A recently installed research-scale metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, provided by SuperPower, Inc., has been used to investigate processing variables for MOCVD YBCO precursors and trends in the resulting properties. Systematic studies of YBCO film growth on LaMnO{sub 3}/IBAD-MgO templates were carried out by optimizing deposition temperature and oxygen flow rate. Microstructural and superconducting properties of the YBCO films were analyzed by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transport measurements. The identification of intermediate phases formed during the YBCO precursor transformation was investigated by coordinated reel-to-reel Raman microprobe analysis. With this combination of various characterization techniques, an improved understanding of the growth characteristics of MOCVD YBCO films was established. Finally, critical current densities greater than 2 MA cm{sup -2} for film thicknesses of 0.8 {mu}m were demonstrated.

  13. Optimization of the deposition conditions and structural characterization of Y{sub 1}Ba{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-x} thin superconducting films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chrzanowski, J.; Meng-Burany, S.; Xing, W.B. [Simon Fraser Univ., British Columbia (Canada)

    1994-12-31

    Two series of Y{sub 1}Ba{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub z} thin films deposited on (001) LaAlO{sub 3} single crystals by excimer laser ablation under two different protocols have been investigated. The research has yielded well defined deposition conditions in terms of oxygen partial pressure p(O{sub 2}) and substrate temperature of the deposition process T{sub h}, for the growth of high quality epitaxial films of YBCO. The films grown under conditions close to optimal for both j{sub c} and T{sub c} exhibited T{sub c}{ge}91 K and j{sub c}{ge}4 x 10{sup 6} A/cm{sup 2}, at 77 K. Close correlations between the structural quality of the film, the growth parameters (p(O{sub 2}), T{sub h}) and j{sub c} and T{sub c} have been found.

  14. Selfsupported epitaxial silicon films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lazarovici, D.; Popescu, A.

    1975-01-01

    The methods of removing the p or p + support of an n-type epitaxial silicon layer using electrochemical etching are described. So far, only n + -n junctions have been processed. The condition of anodic dissolution for some values of the support and layer resistivity are given. By this method very thin single crystal selfsupported targets of convenient areas can be obtained for channeling - blocking experiments

  15. Microstructure of Co(112-bar 0) epitaxial thin films, grown on MgO(100) single-crystal substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nukaga, Yuri; Ohtake, Mitsuru; Futamoto, Masaaki [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551 (Japan); Kirino, Fumiyoshi, E-mail: nukaga@futamoto.elect.chuo-u.ac.j [Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, 12-8 Ueno-koen, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8714 (Japan)

    2010-01-01

    Co(112-bar 0) epitaxial thin films with hcp structure were prepared on MgO(100) single-crystal substrates heated at 300 {sup 0}C by ultra high vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The microstructure is investigated by employing X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The film consists of two types of domains whose c-axes are rotated around the film normal by 90{sup 0} each other. Stacking faults are observed for the film along the Co[0001] direction. An atomically sharp boundary is recognized between the film and the substrate, where some misfit dislocations are introduced in the film at the Co/MgO interface. Dislocations are also observed in the film up to 15 nm thickness from the interface. Presence of such stacking faults and misfit dislocations seem to relieve the strain caused by the lattice mismatch between the film and the substrate. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings of the film are in agreement within 0.5% and 0.1%, respectively, with those of the bulk hcp-Co crystal, suggesting the strain in the film is very small.

  16. Epitaxial growth of fcc-CoxNi100-x thin films on MgO(110) single-crystal substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohtake, Mitsuru; Nukaga, Yuri; Sato, Yoichi; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

    2009-01-01

    Co x Ni 100-x (x=100, 80, 20, 0 at. %) epitaxial thin films were prepared on MgO(110) single-crystal substrates heated at 300 deg. C by ultrahigh vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The growth mechanism is discussed based on lattice strain and crystallographic defects. CoNi(110) single-crystal films with a fcc structure are obtained for all compositions. Co x Ni 100-x film growth follows the Volmer-Weber mode. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings of the Co x Ni 100-x films are in agreement within ±0.5% with the values of the respective bulk Co x Ni 100-x crystals, suggesting that the strain in the film is very small. High-resolution cross-sectional transmission microscopy shows that an atomically sharp boundary is formed between a Co(110) fcc film and a MgO(110) substrate, where periodical misfit dislocations are preferentially introduced in the film at the Co/MgO interface. The presence of such periodical misfit dislocations relieves the strain caused by the lattice mismatch between the film and the substrate.

  17. Microstructure of Co(112-bar 0) epitaxial thin films, grown on MgO(100) single-crystal substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nukaga, Yuri; Ohtake, Mitsuru; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

    2010-01-01

    Co(112-bar 0) epitaxial thin films with hcp structure were prepared on MgO(100) single-crystal substrates heated at 300 0 C by ultra high vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The microstructure is investigated by employing X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The film consists of two types of domains whose c-axes are rotated around the film normal by 90 0 each other. Stacking faults are observed for the film along the Co[0001] direction. An atomically sharp boundary is recognized between the film and the substrate, where some misfit dislocations are introduced in the film at the Co/MgO interface. Dislocations are also observed in the film up to 15 nm thickness from the interface. Presence of such stacking faults and misfit dislocations seem to relieve the strain caused by the lattice mismatch between the film and the substrate. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings of the film are in agreement within 0.5% and 0.1%, respectively, with those of the bulk hcp-Co crystal, suggesting the strain in the film is very small.

  18. InGaN-based thin film solar cells: Epitaxy, structural design, and photovoltaic properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sang, Liwen; Liao, Meiyong; Koide, Yasuo; Sumiya, Masatomo

    2015-03-01

    InxGa1-xN, with the tunable direct bandgaps from ultraviolet to near infrared region, offers a promising candidate for the high-efficiency next-generation thin-film photovoltaic applications. Although the adoption of thick InGaN film as the active region is desirable to obtain efficient light absorption and carrier collection compared to InGaN/GaN quantum wells structure, the understanding on the effect from structural design is still unclear due to the poor-quality InGaN films with thickness and difficulty of p-type doping. In this paper, we comprehensively investigate the effects from film epitaxy, doping, and device structural design on the performances of the InGaN-based solar cells. The high-quality InGaN thick film is obtained on AlN/sapphire template, and p-In0.08Ga0.92N is achieved with a high hole concentration of more than 1018 cm-3. The dependence of the photovoltaic performances on different structures, such as active regions and p-type regions is analyzed with respect to the carrier transport mechanism in the dark and under illumination. The strategy of improving the p-i interface by using a super-thin AlN interlayer is provided, which successfully enhances the performance of the solar cells.

  19. Effects of strain on the magnetic and transport properties of the epitaxial La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zarifi, M.; Kameli, P.; Ehsani, M.H.; Ahmadvand, H.; Salamati, H.

    2016-01-01

    The epitaxial strain can considerably modify the physical properties of thin films compared to the bulk. This paper reports the effects of substrate-induced strain on La 0.5 Ca 0.5 MnO 3 (LCMO) thin films, grown on (100) SrTiO 3 (STO) and LaAlO 3 (LAO) substrates by pulsed laser deposition technique. Transport and magnetic properties were found to be strongly dependent on strain type. It is also shown that compressive (tensile) strain leads to the increase (decrease) in the magnetization of the films. Moreover, it was observed that all LCMO films deposited on both LAO and STO substrates behave as an insulator, but LCMO/LAO thin films with compressive strain have lower resistivity than LCMO/STO thin films with tensile strain. Applying magnetic field to LCMO/STO thin films with thickness of 25 and 50 nm leads to very small change in the resistivity, while the effects of magnetic field on the sample with thickness of 125 nm leads to an insulator–metal transition. For LCMO/LAO thin films, the magnetic field has a strong impact on the resistivity of samples. The results show that the magnetoresistance (MR) is enhanced by increasing film thickness for LCMO/LAO samples, due to the relatively stronger phase separation. For LCMO/STO thin films MR is drastically decreased by reduction of film thickness, which is attributed to the enhancement of the charge–orbital order (CO–O) accompanying the complex spin order (the so-called CE type). The changes of the antiferromagnetic structure from the CE to C type and the enhancement of the CE type could be attributed to the in-plane compressive and tensile strain, respectively. - Highlights: • Epitaxial La 0.5 Ca 0.5 MnO 3 thin films, grown on (100) SrTiO 3 and LaAlO 3 substrates. • The compressive strain leads to the increase in the magnetization of the films. • The tensile strain leads to the decrease in the magnetization of the films. • The magnetoresistance is enhanced by increasing film thickness.

  20. Growth of thick La2Zr2O7 buffer layers for coated conductors by polymer-assisted chemical solution deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Xin; Zhao, Yong; Xia, Yudong; Guo, Chunsheng; Cheng, C.H.; Zhang, Yong; Zhang, Han

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • We develops a low-cost and high-efficient technology of fabricating LZO buffer layers. • Sufficient thickness LZO buffer layers have been obtained on NiW (2 0 0) alloy substrate. • Highly biaxially textured YBCO thin film has been deposited on LZO/NiW. - Abstract: La 2 Zr 2 O 7 (LZO) epitaxial films have been deposited on LaAlO 3 (LAO) (1 0 0) single-crystal surface and bi-axially textured NiW (2 0 0) alloy substrate by polymer-assisted chemical solution deposition, and afterwards studied with XRD, SEM and AFM approaches. Highly in-plane and out-of-plane oriented, dense, smooth, crack free and with a sufficient thickness (>240 nm) LZO buffer layers have been obtained on LAO (1 0 0) single-crystal surface; The films deposited on NiW (2 0 0) alloy substrate are also found with high degree in-plane and out-of-plane texturing, good density with pin-hole-free, micro-crack-free nature and a thickness of 300 nm. Highly epitaxial 500 nm thick YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−x (YBCO) thin film exhibits the self-field critical current density (Jc) reached 1.3 MA/cm 2 at 77 K .These results demonstrate the LZO epi-films obtained with current techniques have potential to be a buffer layer for REBCO coated conductors

  1. Studies of proximity-effect and tunneling in YBCO/metal layered films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Greene, L.H.; Barner, J.B.; Feldmann, W.L.; Farrow, L.A.; Miceli, P.F.; Ramesh, R.; Wilkens, B.J.; Bagley, B.G.; Tarascon, J.M.; Wernick, J.H. (Bellcore, Red Bank, NJ (USA)); Giroud, M. (CRTBT-CNRS, Grenoble (France)); Rowell, J.M. (Conductus, Sunnyvale, CA (USA))

    1989-12-01

    The short coherence length of the high-Tc superconductors, coupled with their tendency to form non-superconducting surface layers, accounts for the difficulty in achieving good tunnel junctions. A proximity layer of a longer coherence length normal metal (N) is expected to ''draw out'' Cooper pairs. Our goal is to fabricate reproducible, planar tunnel junctions of SNIS layered structures for proximity tunneling spectroscopy. Such structures of YBCO/N/I/Pb and SNS structures of YBCO/N/Pb indicate that the normal metal produces a low resistance contact to the YBCO surface with a supercurrent observed in the SNS. The insulating barrier in the SNIS is reproducible, insulating and continuous: A sharp Pb gap and phonons from the counter-electrode are routinely observed. (orig.).

  2. Studies of proximity-effect and tunneling in YBCO/metal layered films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greene, L.H.; Barner, J.B.; Feldmann, W.L.; Farrow, L.A.; Miceli, P.F.; Ramesh, R.; Wilkens, B.J.; Bagley, B.G.; Tarascon, J.M.; Wernick, J.H.; Giroud, M.; Rowell, J.M.

    1989-01-01

    The short coherence length of the high-T c superconductors, coupled with their tendency to form non-superconducting surface layers, accounts for the difficulty in achieving good tunnel junctions. A proximity layer of a longer coherence length normal metal (N) is expected to draw out Cooper pairs. The authors' goal is to fabricate reproducible, planar tunnel junctions of SNIS layered structures for proximity tunneling spectroscopy. They discuss how such structures of YBCO/N/I/Pb and SNS structures of YBCO/N/Pb indicate that the normal metal produces a low resistance contact to the YBCO surface with a supercurrent observed in the SNS. The insulating barrier in the SNIS is reproducible, insulating and continuous: A sharp Pb gap and phonons from the counter-electrode are routinely observed

  3. Epitaxial effects in thin films of high-Tc cuprates with the K2NiF4 structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naito, Michio; Sato, Hisashi; Tsukada, Akio; Yamamoto, Hideki

    2018-03-01

    La2-xSrxCuO4 (LSCO) and La2-xBaxCuO4 (LBCO) have been recognized as the archetype materials of "hole-doped" high-Tc superconductors. Their crystal structures are relatively simple with a small number of constituent cation elements. In addition, the doping level can be varied by the chemical substitution over a wide range enough to obtain the full spectrum of doping-dependent electronic and magnetic properties. These attractive features have dedicated many researchers to thin-film growth of LSCO and LBCO. The critical temperature (Tc) of LSCO and LBCO is sensitive to strain as manifested by a positive pressure coefficient of Tc in bulk samples. In general, films are strained if they are grown on lattice-mismatched substrates (epitaxial strain). Early attempts (before 1997) at the growth of LSCO and LBCO films resulted in depressed Tc below 30 K as they were grown on a commonly used SrTiO3 substrate (in-plane lattice parameter asub = 3.905 Å): the in-plane lattice parameters of LSCO and LBCO are ≤3.80 Å, and hence tensile epitaxial strain is introduced. The situation was changed by the use of LaSrAlO4 substrates with a slightly shorter in-plane lattice constant (asub = 3.756 Å). On LaSrAlO4 substrates, the Tc reaches 45 K in La1.85Sr0.15CuO4, 47 K in La1.85Ba0.15CuO4, and 56 K in ozone-oxidized La2CuO4+δ films, substantially higher than the Tc's of the bulk compounds. The Tc increase in La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 films on LaSrAlO4 and decrease on SrTiO3 are semi-quantitatively in accord with the phenomenological estimations based on the anisotropic strain coefficients of Tc (dTc/dεi). In this review article, we describe the growth and properties of films of cuprates having the K2NiF4 structure, mainly focusing on the increase/decrease of Tc by epitaxial strain and quasi-stable phase formation by epitaxial stabilization. We further extract the structural and/or physical parameters controlling Tc toward microscopic understanding of the variation of Tc by epitaxial strain.

  4. Pseudomorphic growth of organic semiconductor thin films driven by incommensurate epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sassella, A.; Campione, M.; Raimondo, L.; Borghesi, A.; Bussetti, G.; Cirilli, S.; Violante, A.; Goletti, C.; Chiaradia, P.

    2009-01-01

    A stable pseudomorphic phase of α-quaterthiophene, a well known organic semiconductor, is obtained by growing films with organic molecular beam epitaxy (OMBE) on a single crystal of another organic semiconductor, namely, tetracene. The structural characteristics of the new phase are investigated by monitoring in situ the OMBE process by reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy; thus assessing that incommensurate epitaxy is in this case, the driving force for tuning the molecular packing in organic molecular films and in turn, their solid state properties

  5. Multiseeding with (100)/(100) Grain Junctions in Top Seeded Melt Growth Processed YBCO Superconductors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, C.J.; Gee, Y.A.; Hong, G.W. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea); Kim, H.J.; Joo, J.H. [Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea); Han, S.C.; Han, Y.H.; Sung, T.H.; Kim, S.J. [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea)

    2000-06-01

    Multiseeding with (100)/(100) grain junctions of top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) processed YBCO superconductors was studied. Multiple seeding shortened the processing time for the fabrication of TSMG-processed YBCO superconductors. The relationship among the number of seeds, the levitation forces and the trapped magnetic fields of the TSMG-processed YBCO samples is reported. The characteristic of the (100)/(100) grain junction is discussed in terms of a wetting angle of a melt. (author). 25 refs., 7 figs.

  6. The growth of large-area superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-x thin films by pulsed laser ablation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lai, H.C.; Chang, C.M.; Lin, R.J.; Liu, R.S.

    1996-01-01

    In-situ growth of 2-in. diameter superconducting YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) thin films using an excimer KrF pulsed laser has been studied. Films with critical transition temperature (T c,0 ) of 89±1 K and critical current density (J c,77K ) in excess of 1 x 10 6 A cm -2 have been prepared routinely. Uniformity in film thickness of below ±15% and film composition of ±5% have been measured. The effects of gas nozzle geometry and target evolution during ablation on the superconducting properties and surface morphology of YBCO thin films have also been investigated. (orig.)

  7. Improving superconducting properties of YBCO high temperature superconductor by Graphene Oxide doping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dadras, S., E-mail: dadras@alzahra.ac.ir; Dehghani, S.; Davoudiniya, M.; Falahati, S.

    2017-06-01

    In this research, we report the synthesis and characterization of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-δ} (YBCO) high temperature superconductor prepared by sol-gel method and doped with Graphene Oxide (GO) in different weight percentages, 0, 0.1, 0.7 and 1 % wt. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms the formation of orthorhombic phase of superconductivity for all the prepared samples. We found that GO doping reduces the crystalline size of the samples. We evaluated the effects of GO doping on the normal state resistivity (ρ), superconducting transition temperature (T{sub c}) and critical current density (J{sub c}). The results show that the GO doping has a positive effect on these properties. Also, the highest J{sub c} is obtained for the 0.7 %wt GO doped YBCO compound that its critical current density is about 15 times more than the J{sub c} of pure one in 0.4 T magnetic field. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis shows that there are better connections between the grains of GO doped samples. - Highlights: • Graphene Oxide doping increased the YBCO critical current density. • Graphene Oxide creates a better connection between the YBCO grains. • The normal resistivity of samples were decreased by GO doping to YBCO compounds. • Graphene Oxide doping has a positive effect on the critical transition temperature.

  8. Superconductivity applications for infrared and microwave devices; Proceedings of the Meeting, Orlando, FL, Apr. 19, 20, 1990

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhasin, Kul B.; Heinen, Vernon O.

    1990-10-01

    Various papers on superconductivity applications for IR and microwave devices are presented. The individual topics addressed include: pulsed laser deposition of Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu-O films, patterning of high-Tc superconducting thin films on Si substrates, IR spectra and the energy gap in thin film YBa2Cu3O(7-delta), high-temperature superconducting thin film microwave circuits, novel filter implementation utilizing HTS materials, high-temperature superconductor antenna investigations, high-Tc superconducting IR detectors, high-Tc superconducting IR detectors from Y-Ba-Cu-O thin films, Y-Ba-Cu0-O thin films as high-speed IR detectors, fabrication of a high-Tc superconducting bolometer, transition-edge microbolometer, photoresponse of YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) granular and epitaxial superconducting thin films, fast IR response of YBCO thin films, kinetic inductance effects in high-Tc microstrip circuits at microwave frequencies.

  9. GaN/NbN epitaxial semiconductor/superconductor heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Rusen; Khalsa, Guru; Vishwanath, Suresh; Han, Yimo; Wright, John; Rouvimov, Sergei; Katzer, D. Scott; Nepal, Neeraj; Downey, Brian P.; Muller, David A.; Xing, Huili G.; Meyer, David J.; Jena, Debdeep

    2018-03-01

    Epitaxy is a process by which a thin layer of one crystal is deposited in an ordered fashion onto a substrate crystal. The direct epitaxial growth of semiconductor heterostructures on top of crystalline superconductors has proved challenging. Here, however, we report the successful use of molecular beam epitaxy to grow and integrate niobium nitride (NbN)-based superconductors with the wide-bandgap family of semiconductors—silicon carbide, gallium nitride (GaN) and aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN). We apply molecular beam epitaxy to grow an AlGaN/GaN quantum-well heterostructure directly on top of an ultrathin crystalline NbN superconductor. The resulting high-mobility, two-dimensional electron gas in the semiconductor exhibits quantum oscillations, and thus enables a semiconductor transistor—an electronic gain element—to be grown and fabricated directly on a crystalline superconductor. Using the epitaxial superconductor as the source load of the transistor, we observe in the transistor output characteristics a negative differential resistance—a feature often used in amplifiers and oscillators. Our demonstration of the direct epitaxial growth of high-quality semiconductor heterostructures and devices on crystalline nitride superconductors opens up the possibility of combining the macroscopic quantum effects of superconductors with the electronic, photonic and piezoelectric properties of the group III/nitride semiconductor family.

  10. Epitaxial growth and electronic structure of oxyhydride SrVO{sub 2}H thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katayama, Tsukasa; Chikamatsu, Akira, E-mail: chikamatsu@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Yamada, Keisuke; Onozuka, Tomoya [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Shigematsu, Kei [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 213-0012 (Japan); Minohara, Makoto; Kumigashira, Hiroshi [Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Ikenaga, Eiji [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI)/SPring-8, Mikazuki-cho, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Hasegawa, Tetsuya [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 213-0012 (Japan)

    2016-08-28

    Oxyhydride SrVO{sub 2}H epitaxial thin films were fabricated on SrTiO{sub 3} substrates via topotactic hydridation of oxide SrVO{sub 3} films using CaH{sub 2}. Structural and composition analyses suggested that the SrVO{sub 2}H film possessed one-dimensionally ordered V-H{sup −}-V bonds along the out-of-plane direction. The synthesis temperature could be lowered by reducing the film thickness, and the SrVO{sub 2}H film was reversible to SrVO{sub 3} by oxidation through annealing in air. Photoemission and X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements revealed the V{sup 3+} valence state in the SrVO{sub 2}H film, indicating that the hydrogen existed as hydride. Furthermore, the electronic density of states was highly suppressed at the Fermi energy, consistent with the prediction that tetragonal distortion induces metal to insulation transition.

  11. Ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of epitaxial PZT films and devices on silicon

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nguyen, Duc Minh

    2010-01-01

    In this thesis, the integration of lead zirconate titanate Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) thin films into piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based on silicon is studied. In these structures, all epitaxial oxide layers (thin film/electrode/buffer-layer(s)) were deposited by pulsed laser

  12. Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of non-epitaxial hexagonal Co{sub 50}Pt{sub 50} thin films prepared at room temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yuan, F.T., E-mail: ftyuan@gmail.com [iSentek Ltd., Advanced Sensor Laboratory, New Taipei City 22101, Taiwan (China); Chang, H.W., E-mail: wei0208@gmail.com [Department of Applied Physics, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan (China); Lee, P.Y.; Chang, C.Y. [Department of Applied Physics, Tunghai University, Taichung 40704, Taiwan (China); Chi, C.C. [Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China); Ouyang, H., E-mail: houyang@mx.nthu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China)

    2015-04-15

    Highlights: • In this paper, we propose a non-epitaxially grown PMA thin film of disorder hexagonal Co{sub 50}Pt{sub 50} which can satisfy all the requirements at once. • Although the preparation temperature is at room temperature and no post annealing is required, the film also shows good thermal stability up to 400 °C. • Moreover, the easy-controlling single layer deposition process of the film largely enhances the feasibility of practical production. • Significant PMA is achieved in a wide range of film thickness from 2 nm to 20 nm, which expands the usage form a GMR or TMR magnetic junctions to perpendicular spin polarizer for spin current related engineering. • The presented results may open new opportunities for advanced spintronic devices. - Abstract: Non-epitaxially induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) of Co{sub 50}Pt{sub 50} thin films at room temperature (RT) is reported. The CoPt film having a disordered hcp structure shows a magnetocrystalline anisotropy (K{sub u}{sup RT}) of 1–2 × 10{sup 6} erg/cm{sup 3} in a wide range of layer thickness from 2 to 20 nm. K{sub u}{sup RT} of about 1 × 10{sup 6} erg/cm{sup 3} can be preserved after a 400 °C-thermal cycle in the 5-nm-thick sample. Moderate PMA, large thickness range, simple preparation process, low formation temperature but good thermal stability make presented hcp CoPt become a remarkable option for advanced spintronic devices.

  13. Strain induced ionic conductivity enhancement in epitaxial Ce0.9Gd0.1O22d

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kant, K. Mohan; Esposito, Vincenzo; Pryds, Nini

    2012-01-01

    -plane ionic conductivity in CGO epitaxial thin films. The ionic conductivity is found to increase with decrease in buffer layer thickness. The tailored ionic conductivity enhancement is explained in terms of close relationships among epitaxy, strain, and ionic conductivity....

  14. Positron annihilation studies in Hf doped YBCO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gopalan, P.; Priya, E.R.; Premila, M.; Sundar, C.S.; Gopinathan, K.P.

    1992-01-01

    The variation of positron lifetime and oxygen stoichiometry as a function of quench temperature has been measured in undoped and 0.5at%, 0.75at%, and 1.0 at% Hf doped YBCO. In both the undoped and Hf doped samples, the lifetime decreases and the oxygen content increases as the quench temperature is lowered from 900degC to 300degC. The lifetime in the tetragonal phase (900degC) decreases with the increase in Hf content, whereas in the orthorhombic phase (450degC) it increases. The difference in lifetime between the tetragonal and orthorhombic phases decreases with the increase in the Hf content. These trends are discussed in terms of the influence of Hf doping on the oxygen content and the positron density distribution in YBCO

  15. Correlations between critical current density, jc, critical temperature, Tc, and structural quality of Y1B2Cu3O7-x thin superconducting films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chrzanowski, J.; Xing, W.B.; Atlan, D.

    1994-01-01

    Correlations between critical current density (j c ) critical temperature (T c ) and the density of edge dislocations and nonuniform strain have been observed in YBCO thin films deposited by pulsed laser ablation on (001) LaAlO 3 single crystals. Distinct maxima in j c as a function of the linewidths of the (00 ell) Bragg reflections and as a function of the mosaic spread have been found in the epitaxial films. These maxima in j c indicate that the magnetic flux lines, in films of structural quality approaching that of single crystals, are insufficiently pinned which results in a decreased critical current density. T c increased monotonically with improving crystalline quality and approached a value characteristic of a pure single crystal. A strong correlation between j c and the density of edge dislocations N D was found. At the maximum of the critical current density the density of edge dislocations was estimated to be N D ∼1-2 x 10 9 /cm 2

  16. Morphology, structure, and electrical properties of YBa2Cu3Ox thin films on tilted NdGaO3 substrates, deposited by DC-sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mozhaev, Peter B.; Kotelyanskii, Iosif M.; Luzanov, Valery A.; Mozhaeva, Julia E.; Donchev, Todor; Mateev, Emil; Nurgaliev, Timur; Bdikin, Igor K.; Narymbetov, Bakhyt Zh.

    2005-01-01

    Thin YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (YBCO) films were deposited using DC-sputtering technique on NdGaO 3 substrates, tilted from (1 1 0) orientation by 0-26 deg . The structure and surface quality of the substrates were carefully characterized to obtain reliable results of thin films deposition. Structural, morphological and electrical properties of the YBCO thin films show three different ranges of inclination angle: vicinal, intermediate and high. In the vicinal range the properties of the film are generally the same as of the standard films deposited on (1 1 0) NdGaO 3 substrate. An increase of the inclination angle to the intermediate range results in a significant improvement of morphology and structural quality of the film. Best electrical parameters are measured for the films of the intermediate range also. Probable reason for such behavior is simultaneous and regular seeding of the film in the joints of facets on the substrate surface. Further increase of inclination angle leads to step bunching and oxygen out-diffusion, destroying both structural and electrical perfection of the tilted-axes YBCO film

  17. Improving stability of photoluminescence of ZnSe thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy by incorporating Cl dopant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, J. S.; Shen, J. L.; Chen, W. J.; Tsai, Y. H.; Wang, H. H.; Yang, C. S.; Chen, R. H.; Tsai, C. D.

    2011-01-01

    This investigation studies the effect of chlorine (Cl) dopant in ZnSe thin films that were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on their photoluminescence (PL) and the stability thereof. Free excitonic emission was observed at room-temperature in the Cl-doped sample. Photon irradiation with a wavelength of 404 nm and a power density of 9.1 W/cm 2 has a much stronger effect on PL degradation than does thermal heating to a temperature of 150 deg. C. Additionally, this study shows that the generation of nonradiative centers by both photon irradiation and thermal heating can be greatly inhibited by incorporating Cl dopant.

  18. Preparation and properties of thin films treatise on materials science and technology

    CERN Document Server

    Tu, K N

    1982-01-01

    Treatise on Materials Science and Technology, Volume 24: Preparation and Properties of Thin Films covers the progress made in the preparation of thin films and the corresponding study of their properties. The book discusses the preparation and property correlations in thin film; the variation of microstructure of thin films; and the molecular beam epitaxy of superlattices in thin film. The text also describes the epitaxial growth of silicon structures (thermal-, laser-, and electron-beam-induced); the characterization of grain boundaries in bicrystalline thin films; and the mechanical properti

  19. Strain-dependence of the structure and ferroic properties of epitaxial Ni1−xTi1−yO3 thin films grown on sapphire substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Varga, Tamas; Droubay, Timothy C.; Bowden, Mark E.; Stephens, Sean A.; Manandhar, Sandeep; Shutthanandan, Vaithiyalingam; Colby, Robert J.; Hu, Dehong; Shelton, William A.; Chambers, Scott A.

    2015-01-01

    Polarization-induced weak ferromagnetism has been predicted a few years back in compounds MTiO 3 (M = Fe, Mn, Ni) (Fennie, 2008). We set out to stabilize this metastable, distorted perovskite structure by growing NiTiO 3 epitaxially on sapphire Al 2 O 3 (001) substrate, and to control the polar and magnetic properties via strain. Epitaxial Ni 1−x Ti 1−y O 3 films of different Ni/Ti ratios and thicknesses were deposited on Al 2 O 3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition at different temperatures, and characterized using several techniques. The effect of film thickness, deposition temperature, and film stoichiometry on lattice strain, film structure, and physical properties was investigated. Our structural data from x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and x-ray absorption spectroscopy shows that substrate-induced strain has a marked effect on the structure and crystalline quality of the films. Physical property measurements reveal a dependence of the Néel transition and lattice polarization on strain, and highlight our ability to control the ferroic properties in NiTiO 3 thin films by film stoichiometry and thickness. - Highlights: • NiTiO 3 epitaxial thin films with LiNbO 3 -type structure by pulsed laser deposition. • Strain varied by film thickness, stoichiometry, and synthesis temperature. • Systematic study of the effect of strain on film structure and physical properties. • Manipulation of ferroic properties by strain confirmed

  20. Reversal of the lattice structure in SrCoOx epitaxial thin films studied by real-time optical spectroscopy and first-principles calculations

    OpenAIRE

    Choi, Woo Seok; Jeen, Hyoungjeen; Lee, Jun Hee; Seo, S. S. Ambrose; Cooper, Valentino R.; Rabe, Karin M.; Lee, Ho Nyung

    2013-01-01

    Using real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry, we directly observed a reversible lattice and electronic structure evolution in SrCoOx (x = 2.5 - 3) epitaxial thin films. Drastically different electronic ground states, which are extremely susceptible to the oxygen content x, are found in the two topotactic phases, i.e. the brownmillerite SrCoO2.5 and the perovskite SrCoO3. First principles calculations confirmed substantial differences in the electronic structure, including a metal-insulator tran...

  1. Improved interface growth and enhanced flux pinning in YBCO films deposited on an advanced IBAD-MgO based template

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, M. Z.; Zhao, Y.; Wu, X.; Malmivirta, M.; Huhtinen, H.; Paturi, P.

    2018-02-01

    The growth mechanism is studied from the flux pinning point of view in small-scale YBa2Cu3O6+x (YBCO) thin films deposited on a polycrystalline hastelloy with advanced IBAD-MgO based buffer layer architecture. When compared the situation with YBCO films grown on single crystal substrates, the most critical issues that affect the suitable defect formation and thus the optimal vortex pinning landscape, have been studied as a function of the growth temperature and the film thickness evolution. We can conclude that the best critical current property in a wide applied magnetic field range is observed in films grown at relatively low temperature and having intermediate thickness. These phenomena are linked to the combination of the improved interface growth, to the film thickness related crystalline relaxation and to the formation of linear array of edge dislocations that forms the low-angle grain boundaries through the entire film thickness and thus improve the vortex pinning properties. Hence, the optimized buffer layer structure proved to be particularly suitable for new coated conductor solutions.

  2. Detection of smaller J{sub c} region and damage in YBCO coated conductors by using permanent magnet method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hattori, K., E-mail: tey88221@st.yamagata-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University, 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata 992-8510 (Japan); Saito, A. [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University, 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata 992-8510 (Japan); Takano, Y.; Suzuki, T. [Tohoku Seiki Industries, Ltd., 3-1246, Tachiyagawa, Yamagata 990-2251 (Japan); Yamada, H.; Takayama, T.; Kamitani, A.; Ohshima, S. [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University, 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata 992-8510 (Japan)

    2011-11-15

    We developed a non-destructive method for measuring the critical current density (J{sub c}) in YBCO-coated conductors by using a permanent magnet (Sm{sub 2}Co{sub 17}). J{sub c} could be determined from the repulsive force (F{sub r}) generated between a permanent magnet and a coated conductor where shielding current flows. We also examined the influence of damage to the film on the J{sub c} distribution. The measured F{sub r} when the permanent magnet approached the cut part was smaller than that of the undamaged area. We developed a non-destructive method for measuring the critical current density (J{sub c}) in YBCO-coated conductors by using a permanent magnet (Sm{sub 2}Co{sub 17}). J{sub c} could be determined from the repulsive force (F{sub r}) generated between a permanent magnet and a coated conductor where shielding current flows. We tried to detect a smaller J{sub c} region in the coated conductor by using the system. The J{sub c} distribution could be determined without influence from the thick copper film on YBCO thin film. We also examined the influence of damage to the film on the J{sub c} distribution. The surface of the coated conductors was cut by using a knife. The measured F{sub r} when the permanent magnet approached the cut part was smaller than that of the undamaged area. This J{sub c} measurement technique will be useful for detecting smaller J{sub c} regions and defects in coated conductors.

  3. Preparation of Superconductor YBCO-123/Ag Composite Through Urea Molten Salt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yustinus, P.; Indra-Gunawan; Wuryanto

    1996-01-01

    Superconductor YBCO-123/Ag composite has been prepared through Urea molten salt by mixing salt nitrate of Yttrium, Barium, Copper and Silver. The weight of Silver content varied from 0 % - 50 %. After pyrolysis process the powder was subjected to calcination at 300, 500 and 700 o C subsequently for 1 hour. The calcined powders was pelletized into a disk of 1.0 cm in diameter and thickness of 2-3 mm. Sintering of pellet samples was done at 900 o C for 16 hours. Meissner effect on all samples displayed superconductivity phenomena. Samples were examined by XRD, SEM, measurement of critical temperature by using susceptibility magnet vs temperature, and critical current density measurement by using four point probe. Based on orthorhombic structure of YBCO-123 the result of the lattice crystal calculation were is a = 3.8167 - 3.8241 A o ; b = 3.8561 - 3.8895 A o and c = 11.6518 - 11.7104 A o , this showed that silver did not influence the structure of YBCO. Superconductor YBCO-123/Ag composite was prepared. This was proved by critical current density. Jc data which showed increased with increasing of silver content and the highest result was 9.71 x 10 5 Amp/m 2

  4. InGaN-based thin film solar cells: Epitaxy, structural design, and photovoltaic properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sang, Liwen, E-mail: SANG.Liwen@nims.go.jp [International Center for Material Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan); JST-PRESTO, The Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo 102-0076 (Japan); Liao, Meiyong; Koide, Yasuo [Wide Bandgap Materials Group, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan); Sumiya, Masatomo [Wide Bandgap Materials Group, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan); JST-ALCA, The Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo 102-0076 (Japan)

    2015-03-14

    In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}N, with the tunable direct bandgaps from ultraviolet to near infrared region, offers a promising candidate for the high-efficiency next-generation thin-film photovoltaic applications. Although the adoption of thick InGaN film as the active region is desirable to obtain efficient light absorption and carrier collection compared to InGaN/GaN quantum wells structure, the understanding on the effect from structural design is still unclear due to the poor-quality InGaN films with thickness and difficulty of p-type doping. In this paper, we comprehensively investigate the effects from film epitaxy, doping, and device structural design on the performances of the InGaN-based solar cells. The high-quality InGaN thick film is obtained on AlN/sapphire template, and p-In{sub 0.08}Ga{sub 0.92}N is achieved with a high hole concentration of more than 10{sup 18 }cm{sup −3}. The dependence of the photovoltaic performances on different structures, such as active regions and p-type regions is analyzed with respect to the carrier transport mechanism in the dark and under illumination. The strategy of improving the p-i interface by using a super-thin AlN interlayer is provided, which successfully enhances the performance of the solar cells.

  5. Nanoscale monoclinic domains in epitaxial SrRuO3 thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghica, C.; Negrea, R. F.; Nistor, L. C.; Chirila, C. F.; Pintilie, L.

    2014-07-01

    In this paper, we analyze the structural distortions observed by transmission electron microscopy in thin epitaxial SrRuO3 layers used as bottom electrodes in multiferroic coatings onto SrTiO3 substrates for future multiferroic devices. Regardless of the nature and architecture of the multilayer oxides deposited on the top of the SrRuO3 thin films, selected area electron diffraction patterns systematically revealed the presence of faint diffraction spots appearing in forbidden positions for the SrRuO3 orthorhombic structure. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) combined with Geometric Phase Analysis (GPA) evidenced the origin of these forbidden diffraction spots in the presence of structurally disordered nanometric domains in the SrRuO3 bottom layers, resulting from a strain-driven phase transformation. The local high compressive strain (-4% ÷ -5%) measured by GPA in the HRTEM images induces a local orthorhombic to monoclinic phase transition by a cooperative rotation of the RuO6 octahedra. A further confirmation of the origin of the forbidden diffraction spots comes from the simulated diffraction patterns obtained from a monoclinic disordered SrRuO3 structure.

  6. High-pressure oxygenation of thin-wall YBCO single-domain samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaud, X; Savchuk, Y; Sergienko, N; Prikhna, T; Diko, P

    2008-01-01

    The oxygen annealing of ReBCO bulk material, necessary to achieve superconducting properties, usually induces micro- and macro-cracks. This leads to a crack-assisted oxygenation process that allows oxygenating large bulk samples faster than single crystals. But excellent superconducting properties are cancelled by the poor mechanical ones. More progressive oxygenation strategy has been shown to reduce drastically the oxygenation cracks. The problem then arises to keep a reasonable annealing time. The concept of bulk Y123 single-domain samples with thin-wall geometry has been introduced to bypass the inherent limitation due to a slow oxygen diffusion rate. But it is not enough. The use of a high oxygen pressure (16 MPa) enables to speed up further the process. It introduces a displacement in the equilibrium phase diagram towards higher temperatures, i.e., higher diffusion rates, to achieve a given oxygen content in the material. Remarkable results were obtained by applying such a high pressure oxygen annealing process on thin-wall single-domain samples. The trapped field of 16 mm diameter Y123 thin-wall single-domain samples was doubled (0.6T vs 0.3T at 77K) using an annealing time twice shorter (about 3 days). The initial development was made on thin bars. The advantage of thin-wall geometry is that such an annealing can be applied directly to a much larger sample

  7. Microstructure of epitaxial thin films of the ferromagnetic shape memory alloy Ni{sub 2}MnGa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eichhorn, Tobias

    2011-12-09

    This work is concerned with the preparation and detailed characterization of epitaxial thin films of the Heusler compound Ni{sub 2}MnGa. This multiferroic compound is of both technological and scientific interest due to the outstanding magnetic shape memory (MSM) behavior. Huge magnetic-field-induced strains up to 10 % have been observed for single crystals close to a Ni{sub 2}MnGa composition. The effect is based on a redistribution of crystallographic twin variants of tetragonal or orthorhombic symmetry. Under the driving force of the external magnetic field twin boundaries can move through the crystal, which largely affects the macroscopic shape. The unique combination of large reversible strain, high switching frequency and high work output makes the alloy a promising actuator material. Since the MSM effect results from an intrinsic mechanism, MSM devices possess great potential for implementation in microsystems, e.g. microfluidics. So far significant strains, in response to an external magnetic field, have been observed for bulk single crystals and foams solely. In order to take advantage of the effect in applications concepts for miniaturization are needed. The rather direct approach, based on epitaxial thin films, is explored in the course of this work. This involves sample preparation under optimized deposition parameters and fabrication of freestanding single-crystalline films. Different methods to achieve freestanding microstructures such as bridges and cantilevers are presented. The complex crystal structure is extensively studied by means of X-ray diffraction. Thus, the different crystallographic twin variants that are of great importance for the MSM effect are identified. In combination with microscopy the twinning architecture for films of different crystallographic orientation is clarified. Intrinsic blocking effects in samples of (100) orientation are explained on basis of the variant configuration. In contrast, a promising twinning microstructure

  8. Study of the inhomogeneity of critical current under in-situ tensile stress for YBCO tape

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Y. P.; Chen, W.; Zhang, H. Y.; Liu, L. Y.; Pan, X. F.; Yang, X. S.; Zhao, Y.

    2018-07-01

    A Hall sensor system was used to measure the local critical current of YBCO tape with high spatial resolution under in-situ tensile stress. The hot spot generation and minimum quench energy of YBCO tape, which depended on the local critical current, was calculated through the thermoelectric coupling model. With the increase in tensile stress, the cracks which have different dimensions and critical current degradation arose more frequently and lowered the thermal stability of the YBCO tape.

  9. Effect of crystal orientation on the phase diagrams, dielectric and piezoelectric properties of epitaxial BaTiO3 thin films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huaping Wu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The influence of crystal orientations on the phase diagrams, dielectric and piezoelectric properties of epitaxial BaTiO3 thin films has been investigated using an expanded nonlinear thermodynamic theory. The calculations reveal that crystal orientation has significant influence on the phase stability and phase transitions in the misfit strain-temperature phase diagrams. In particular, the (110 orientation leads to a lower symmetry and more complicated phase transition than the (111 orientation in BaTiO3 films. The increase of compressive strain will dramatically enhance the Curie temperature TC of (110-oriented BaTiO3 films, which matches well with previous experimental data. The polarization components experience a great change across the boundaries of different phases at room temperature in both (110- and (111-oriented films, which leads to the huge dielectric and piezoelectric responses. A good agreement is found between the present thermodynamics calculation and previous first-principles calculations. Our work provides an insight into how to use crystal orientation, epitaxial strain and temperature to tune the structure and properties of ferroelectrics.

  10. Fabrication of High Current YBa2Cu3O7-y Coated Conductors Using Rolling-Assisted Biaxially Textured Substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Christen, D.K.; Feenstra, R.; Kroeger, D.M.; Lee, D.F.; List, F.A.; Martin, P.M.; Norton, D.P.; Paranthaman, M.; Park, C.; Royal, A.; Specht, E.D.; Verebelyi, D.T.

    1999-01-01

    High critical current YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-y (referred to as YBCO) coated conductors were fabricated with a layer sequence of YBCO/YSZ/CeO 2 /Ni. The cube (100) texture in the starting Ni substrates was obtained by cold rolling followed by recrystallization. A thin CeO 2 (Cerium Oxide) layer with a thickness of 100-200 was grown epitaxially on the biaxially textured-Ni substrates using an e-beam evaporation technique. This was followed by the growth of a thick ( 2 film had a dense microstructure. The microstructure of the e-beam YSZ film was porous whereas the sputtered YSZ film was dense. The YBCO films were grown by pulsed laser deposition on both e-beam and sputtered YSZ layers. A transport critical current density of 1 x l0 6 A/cm 2 at 77 K was obtained for 0.8 m thick YBCO Rims on both YSZ surfaces in zero field. To demonstrate the quality and compatibility of the e-beam CeO 2 layers; YBCO films were also grown on CeO 2 -buffered YSZ (100) single crystal substrates using e-beam co-evaporated Y-BaF 2 -Cu precursors followed by a post-annealing process. A transport critical current density of over 1 x lO 6 A/cm 2 at 77 K was obtained on a 0.3 m thick YBCO film in zero field

  11. Raman investigation of GaP–Si interfaces grown by molecular beam epitaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bondi, A.; Cornet, C.; Boyer, S.; Nguyen Thanh, T.; Létoublon, A.; Pedesseau, L.; Durand, O. [Université Européenne de Bretagne, INSA, FOTON, UMR CNRS 6082, 20 Avenue des Buttes de Coësmes, F-35708 Rennes (France); Moreac, A. [Institut de Physique de Rennes, UMR-CNRS n°6251, Université Rennes1, Campus de Beaulieu — 35042 Rennes cedex (France); Ponchet, A. [CEMES, UPR CNRS 8011, F-31055 Toulouse (France); Le Corre, A. [Université Européenne de Bretagne, INSA, FOTON, UMR CNRS 6082, 20 Avenue des Buttes de Coësmes, F-35708 Rennes (France); Even, J., E-mail: jacky.even@insa.rennes.fr [Université Européenne de Bretagne, INSA, FOTON, UMR CNRS 6082, 20 Avenue des Buttes de Coësmes, F-35708 Rennes (France)

    2013-08-31

    Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the residual strain in thin GaP layers deposited on Si substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Different growth conditions were used to obtain a clean GaP–Si interface, including migration enhanced epitaxy. The strain induced Raman shifts of the longitudinal and the transverse optical GaP lattice modes were analyzed. The effects of crystalline defects are discussed, supported by high resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray scattering studies. Finally, Raman Spectroscopy reveals the presence of disorder (or surface)-activated optical phonons. This result is discussed in the light of surface morphology analyses. - Highlights: ► GaP thin layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy on Si substrates. ► Strain-induced Raman shifts of the optical GaP modes are analyzed. ► Simulation of optical GaP modes by density functional perturbation theory. ► Comparison with X-ray diffraction and electron and scanning probe microscopy data.

  12. YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films deposited by MOCVD vertical reactor with a flow guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sujiono, E.H.; Negeri Makassar; Sani, R.A.; Saragi, T.; Arifin, P.; Barmawi, M.

    2001-01-01

    The effect of a flow guide in a vertical MOCVD reactor on the deposition uniformity and growth rate of thin YBCO films has been studied. Without the flow guide the growth rates are low, have a poor uniformity and the film composition is not stoichiometric. The growth rate of the films grown using a reactor with the flow guide was approximately twice that without the flow guide. Using this flow guide the growth rates were 0.4-0.7 μm/h for growth temperatures varying between 600 and 750 C, and the crystalline quality as well as the surface morphology of YBCO films on MgO substrates is improved. For films grown at temperatures above 650 C the composition of Y:Ba:Cu is 1:2:3, as confirmed by EDAX spectra. Films deposited without and with the flow guide at 700 C have critical temperatures around 85 and 88 K, respectively. The reduction in ΔT c (T c,zero -T c,onset ) also shows an improvement of the superconducting properties of YBCO thin films deposited with a flow guide. (orig.)

  13. Fiber optic quench detection via optimized Rayleigh Scattering in high-field YBCO accelerator magnets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Flanagan, Gene [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)

    2016-02-17

    Yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) coated conductors are known for their ability to operate in the superconducting state at relatively high temperatures, even above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (77 K). When these same conductors are operated at lower temperatures, they are able to operate in much higher magnetic fields than traditional superconductors like NiTi or Nb3Sn. Thus, YBCO superconducting magnets are one of the primary options for generating the high magnetic fields needed for future high energy physics devices. Due to slow quench propagation, quench detection remains one of the primary limitations to YBCO magnets. Fiber optic sensing, based upon Rayleigh scattering, has the potential for spatial resolution approaching the wavelength of light, or very fast temporal resolution at low spatial resolution, and a continuum of combinations in between. This project has studied, theoretically and experimentally, YBCO magnets and Rayleigh scattering quench detection systems to demonstrate feasibility of the systems for YBCO quench protection systems. Under this grant an experimentally validated 3D quench propagation model was used to accurately define the acceptable range of spatial and temporal resolutions for effective quench detection in YBCO magnets and to evaluate present-day and potentially improved YBCO conductors. The data volume and speed requirements for quench detection via Rayleigh scattering required the development of a high performance fiber optic based quench detection/data acquisition system and its integration with an existing voltage tap/thermo-couple based system. In this project, optical fibers are tightly co-wound into YBCO magnet coils, with the fiber on top of the conductor as turn-to-turn insulation. Local changes in the temperature or strain of the conductor are sensed by the optical fiber, which is in close thermal and mechanical contact with the conductor. Intrinsic imperfections in the fiber reflect Rayleigh

  14. Magnetic structural effect (MSE in epitaxial films of cerium oxide and lanthanum zirconate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatima Kh. Chibirova

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Increasing the critical current density in the second generation high-temperature superconducting wires (2G HTS is the major challenge for researchers and manufacturers of 2G HTS wires all over the world. We proposed a new approach to increase the number of percolation paths for supercurrent, i.e. increasing the number of low angle grain boundaries (<5° in the epitaxial superconducting YBCO layer by magnetic structural processing (MSP of buffer layers. New experimental results have been presented on the application of MSP for improving the structure and increasing the texture sharpness of buffer in electrical conducting element of 2G HTS wire. The influence of MCO on the structural and textural properties has been investigated in a buffer consisting of epitaxial films of cerium oxide CeO2 and lanthanum zirconate La2Zr2O7 in the CeO2/4La2Zr2O7 architecture. The influence of the magnetic processing of the epitaxial La2Zr2O7 buffer film on the shape of grains has been found. An atomic force microscopical study has shown that after magnetic processing the shape of grains improved significantly. A multilayer CeO2/4La2Zr2O7 buffer each layer of which was processed in a magnetic field has a high degree of orientation: only one diffraction peak with (200 indexes is observed in the X-ray spectrum. The X-ray settings of the (200 diffraction peak indicate a well developed epitaxial structure of CeO2 and La2Zr2O7 layers. The texture of the buffer is by more than 2° sharper than that of the Ni–5 at% W substrate.

  15. Controlling plasmonic properties of epitaxial thin films of indium tin oxide in the near-infrared region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamakura, R.; Fujita, K.; Murai, S.; Tanaka, K.

    2015-06-01

    Epitaxial thin films of indium tin oxide (ITO) were grown on yttria-stabilized zirconia single-crystal substrates by using a pulsed laser deposition to examine their plasmonic properties. The dielectric function of ITO was characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry. Through the concentration of SnO2 in the target, the carrier concentration in the films was modified, which directly leads to the tuning of the dielectric function in the near-infrared region. Variable-angle reflectance spectroscopy in the Kretschmann geometry shows the dip in the reflection spectrum of p-polarized light corresponding to the excitation of surface plasmon polaritions (SPPs) in the near-infrared region. The excitation wavelength of the SPPs was shifted with changing the dielectric functions of ITO, which is reproduced by the calculation using transfer matrix method.

  16. Epitaxial growth of high temperature superconductors by cathodic sputtering I: thin films of YBaCuO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Navacerrada, M.A.; Sefrioui, Z.; Arias, D.; Varela, M.; Loos, G.; Leon, C.; Lucia, M.L.; Santamaria, J.; Sanchez-Quesada, F.

    1998-01-01

    High quality c-oriented YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 -x thin films have been grown on SrTiO 3 (100)substrates by high pressure sputtering in pure oxygen atmosphere. Low angle X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy were performed on films less than 250 angstrom thick showing a plenitude better than one unit cell. Moreover, the structural characterization by means of X ray φ scans showed that growth is epitaxial. The critical temperature has been measured by different ways and was always in the range 89.5-90.5K. the resistance transition is sharper than 1K and the mutual inductance response always shows magnetic losses peaks narrower than 0.3K. Critical current densities are in excess of 10''''6 angstrom/cm''''2 at 77K. (Author) 8 refs

  17. Critical current survival in the YBCO superconducting layer of a delaminated coated conductor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Feng; Fu, Qishu; Qu, Timing; Mu, Hui; Gu, Chen; Yue, Yubin; Wang, Linli; Yang, Zhirong; Han, Zhenghe; Feng, Pingfa

    2018-04-01

    A high-temperature superconducting coated conductor can be practically applied in electric equipment due to its favorable mechanical properties and critical current (I c) performance. However, the coated conductor can easily delaminate because of its poor stress tolerance along the thickness direction. It would be interesting to investigate whether the I c of the delaminated YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) layer can be preserved. In this study, coated conductor samples manufactured through the metal organic deposition route were delaminated by liquid nitrogen immersion. Delaminated samples, including the YBCO layer and silver stabilizer, were obtained. Delamination occurred inside the YBCO layer and near the YBCO-CeO2 interface, as suggested by the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction. A scanning Hall probe system was employed to measure the I c distribution of the original sample and the delaminated sample. It was found that approximately 50% of the I c can be preserved after delamination, which was verified by I c measurements using the four-probe method. Dense and crack-free morphologies of the delaminated surfaces were observed by SEM, which accounts for the I c survival of the delaminated YBCO layer. The potential application of the delaminated sample in superconducting joints was discussed based on the oxygen diffusion estimation.

  18. Magnetic and magnetoelastic properties of epitaxial SmFe{sub 2} thin film

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fuente, C de la; Arnaudas, J I; Ciria, M; Del Moral, A [Departamento de Magnetismo de Solidos and Departamento de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, Instituto de Ciencia de los Materiales de Aragon and Universidad de Zaragoza, 50071, Zaragoza (Spain); Dufour, C; Dumesnil, K, E-mail: cesar@unizar.e [Laboratoire de Metallurgie Physique et de Science des Materiaux, Universite Henry Poincare, Nancy 1, BP 239, 54506 (France)

    2010-02-03

    We report on magnetic and magnetoelastic measurements for a 5000 A (110) SmFe{sub 2} thin film, which was successfully analyzed by means of a point charge model for describing the effect of the epitaxial growth in this kind of system. Some of the main conclusions of the Moessbauer and magnetoelastic results and the new magnetization results up to 5 T allow us to get a full description of the crystal electric field, exchange, and magnetoelastic behavior in this compound. So, new single-ion parameters are obtained for the crystal field interaction of samarium ions, A{sub 4}(r{sup 4}) = +755 K/ion and A{sub 6}(r{sup 6}) = -180 K/ion, and new single-ion magnetoelastic coupling B{sup gamma}{sup ,2}approx =-200 MPa and B{sup epsilon}{sup ,2}approx =800 MPa, which represent the tetragonal and the in-plane shear deformations, respectively. Moreover, the new thermal behavior of the samarium magnetic moment, the exchange coupling parameter, and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the iron sublattice are obtained too. From these, the softening of the spin reorientation transition with respect to the bulk case could be accounted for.

  19. Bromine doping of CdTe and CdMnTe epitaxial layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Waag, A. (Physikalisches Inst. der Univ. Wuerzburg (Germany)); Scholl, S. (Physikalisches Inst. der Univ. Wuerzburg (Germany)); Schierstedt, K. von (Physikalisches Inst. der Univ. Wuerzburg (Germany)); Hommel, D. (Physikalisches Inst. der Univ. Wuerzburg (Germany)); Landwehr, G. (Physikalisches Inst. der Univ. Wuerzburg (Germany)); Bilger, G. (Zentrum fuer Sonnenenergie und Wasserstoff-Forschung, Stuttgart (Germany))

    1993-03-01

    We report on the n-type doping of CdTe and CdMnTe with bormine as a novel dopant material. /the thin films were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. ZnBr[sub 2] was used as a source material for the n-type doping. Free carrier concentrations at room temperature of up to 2.8x10[sup 18] cm[sup -3] could be readily obtained for both CdTe as well as CdMnTe thin films with Mn concentrations below 10%. This is to our knowledge the highest value ever obtained for the dilute magnetic semiconductor CdMnTe. For ZnBr[sub 2] source temperatures up to 60 C - corresponding to a free carrier concentration of (2-3)x10[sup 18] cm[sup -3] - the free carrier concentration of the epitaxial film increases with ZnBr[sub 2] source temperature. For higher ZnBr[sub 2] source temperatures compensation becomes dominant, which is indicated by a steep decrease of the free carrier concentration with increasing ZnBr[sub 2] source temperature. In addition the carrier mobility decreases drastically for such high dopant fluxes. A model of bromine incorporation is proposed. (orig.)

  20. Protection of the 6 T YBCO insert in the 13 T Nb$_{3}$Sn Fresca II dipole

    CERN Document Server

    Stenvall, A.; Fazilleau, Ph.; Devaux, M.; Durante, M.; Lecrevisse, T.; Rey, J. -M.; Fleiter, J.; Sorbi, M.; Volpini, G.; Tixador, P.

    2013-01-01

    In the EuCARD project, we aim to construct a dipole magnet in YBCO producing 6 T in the background field of a 13 T Nb$_{3}$Sn dipole FRESCA II. This paper reviews the quench analysis and protection of the YBCO coil. In addition, a recommendation for the protection system of the YBCO coil is presented.

  1. Depth resolved lattice-charge coupling in epitaxial BiFeO3 thin film

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Hyeon Jun; Lee, Sung Su; Kwak, Jeong Hun; Kim, Young-Min; Jeong, Hu Young; Borisevich, Albina Y.; Lee, Su Yong; Noh, Do Young; Kwon, Owoong; Kim, Yunseok; Jo, Ji Young

    2016-12-01

    For epitaxial films, a critical thickness (tc) can create a phenomenological interface between a strained bottom layer and a relaxed top layer. Here, we present an experimental report of how the tc in BiFeO3 thin films acts as a boundary to determine the crystalline phase, ferroelectricity, and piezoelectricity in 60 nm thick BiFeO3/SrRuO3/SrTiO3 substrate. We found larger Fe cation displacement of the relaxed layer than that of strained layer. In the time-resolved X-ray microdiffraction analyses, the piezoelectric response of the BiFeO3 film was resolved into a strained layer with an extremely low piezoelectric coefficient of 2.4 pm/V and a relaxed layer with a piezoelectric coefficient of 32 pm/V. The difference in the Fe displacements between the strained and relaxed layers is in good agreement with the differences in the piezoelectric coefficient due to the electromechanical coupling.

  2. Study on structural properties of epitaxial silicon films on annealed double layer porous silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yue Zhihao; Shen Honglie; Cai Hong; Lv Hongjie; Liu Bin

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, epitaxial silicon films were grown on annealed double layer porous silicon by LPCVD. The evolvement of the double layer porous silicon before and after thermal annealing was investigated by scanning electron microscope. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate the structural properties of the epitaxial silicon thin films grown at different temperature and different pressure. The results show that the surface of the low-porosity layer becomes smooth and there are just few silicon-bridges connecting the porous layer and the substrate wafer. The qualities of the epitaxial silicon thin films become better along with increasing deposition temperature. All of the Raman peaks of silicon films with different deposition pressure are situated at 521 cm -1 under the deposition temperature of 1100 °C, and the Raman intensity of the silicon film deposited at 100 Pa is much closer to that of the monocrystalline silicon wafer. The epitaxial silicon films are all (4 0 0)-oriented and (4 0 0) peak of silicon film deposited at 100 Pa is more symmetric.

  3. Ge films grown on Si substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy below 450 deg. C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, J.; Kim, H.J.; Hul'ko, O.; Xie, Y.H.; Sahni, S.; Bandaru, P.; Yablonovitch, E.

    2004-01-01

    Ge thin films are grown on Si(001) substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy at 370 deg. C. The low-temperature epitaxial growth is compatible with the back-end thermal budget of current generation complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology, which is restricted to less than 450 deg. C. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction shows that single-crystal Ge thin films with smooth surfaces could be achieved below 450 deg. C. Double-axis x-ray θ/2θ scans also show that the epitaxial Ge films are almost fully strain-relaxed. As expected, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy shows a network of dislocations at the interface. Hydrogen and oxide desorption techniques are proved to be necessary for improving the quality of the Ge films, which is reflected in improved minority carrier diffusion lengths and exceptionally low leakage currents

  4. Magnetic anisotropies in epitaxial Fe3O4/GaAs(100) patterned structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, W.; Zhang, D.; Yuan, S. J.; Huang, Z. C.; Zhai, Y.; Wong, P. K. J.; Wu, J.; Xu, Y. B.

    2014-01-01

    Previous studies on epitaxial Fe 3 O 4 rings in the context of spin-transfer torque effect have revealed complicated and undesirable domain structures, attributed to the intrinsic fourfold magnetocrystalline anisotropy in the ferrite. In this Letter, we report a viable solution to this problem, utilizing a 6-nm-thick epitaxial Fe 3 O 4 thin film on GaAs(100), where the fourfold magnetocrystalline anisotropy is negligible. We demonstrate that in the Fe 3 O 4 planar wires patterned from our thin film, such a unique magnetic anisotropy system has been preserved, and relatively simple magnetic domain configurations compared to those previous reports can be obtained

  5. Pulsed laser deposition of YBCO films on ISD MgO buffered metal tapes

    CERN Document Server

    Ma, B; Koritala, R E; Fisher, B L; Markowitz, A R; Erck, R A; Baurceanu, R; Dorris, S E; Miller, D J; Balachandran, U

    2003-01-01

    Biaxially textured magnesium oxide (MgO) films deposited by inclined-substrate deposition (ISD) are desirable for rapid production of high-quality template layers for YBCO-coated conductors. High-quality YBCO films were grown on ISD MgO buffered metallic substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Columnar grains with a roof-tile surface structure were observed in the ISD MgO films. X-ray pole figure analysis revealed that the (002) planes of the ISD MgO films are tilted at an angle from the substrate normal. A small full-width at half maximum (FWHM) of approx 9deg was observed in the phi-scan for ISD MgO films deposited at an inclination angle of 55deg . In-plane texture in the ISD MgO films developed in the first approx 0.5 mu m from the substrate surface, and then stabilized with further increases in film thickness. Yttria-stabilized zirconia and ceria buffer layers were deposited on the ISD MgO grown on metallic substrates prior to the deposition of YBCO by PLD. YBCO films with the c-axis parallel to the...

  6. Epitaxial growth of YBa sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub 7 minus. delta. thin films on LiNbO sub 3 substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, S.G.; Koren, G.; Gupta, A.; Segmuller, A.; Chi, C.C. (IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, P.O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (US))

    1989-09-18

    {ital In} {ital situ} epitaxial growth of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}} thin films on {ital Y}-cut LiNbO{sub 3} substrates using a standard laser ablation technique is reported. Resistance of the films shows a normal metallic behavior and a very sharp ({lt}1 K) superconducting transition with {ital T}{sub {ital c}}({ital R}=0) of 92 K. High critical current density of {ital J}{sub {ital c}}(77 K)=2{times}10{sup 5} A/cm{sup 2} is observed, which is in accordance with epitaxial growth. Film orientation observed from x-ray diffraction spectra indicates that the {ital c} axis is normal to the substrate plane and the {ital a} axis is at 45{degree} to the (11.0) direction of the hexagonal lattice of the substrate with two domains in mirror image to the (110) plane.

  7. AFM plough YBCO micro bridges: substrate effects

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Elkaseh, A

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available AFM nanolithography was used as a novel cutting technique to define micro-size YBCO superconducting constrictions. Researchers studied the substrate effects on MgO and STO substrates and showed that the observed Shapiro steps from the bridges on STO...

  8. Influence of stabilizer thickness on over-current test of YBCO-coated conductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kwon, N Y; Kim, H S; Kim, K L; Lee, H G; Yim, S W; Kim, H-R; Hyun, O-B; Kim, H M

    2009-01-01

    The increased use of distributed power generation has led to increasingly high fault current levels. A superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is a potential solution to prevent the problem of short-circuit currents. YBCO-coated conductors (CCs) are one of the most promising superconducting materials for SFCLs. Most YBCO CCs have stabilizers, which play a significant role in limiting the fault current in the SFCL. Therefore, the selection of the appropriate material and the thickness of the stabilizer of the CC used for the SFCL may affect its quench/recovery characteristics. In this paper, the quench/recovery characteristics of YBCO CC tapes having stabilizers with various thicknesses were investigated. The quench/recovery test results showed that, as the thickness of the stabilizer decreased, both the final approach temperature and the recovery time decreased.

  9. Interdiffusion in epitaxial, single-crystalline Au/Ag thin films studied by Auger electron spectroscopy sputter-depth profiling and positron annihilation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noah, Martin A.; Flötotto, David; Wang, Zumin; Reiner, Markus; Hugenschmidt, Christoph; Mittemeijer, Eric J.

    2016-01-01

    Interdiffusion in epitaxial, single-crystalline Au/Ag bilayered thin films on Si (001) substrates was investigated by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) sputter-depth profiling and by in-situ positron annihilation Doppler broadening spectroscopy (DBS). By the combination of these techniques identification of the role of vacancy sources and sinks on interdiffusion in the Au/Ag films was possible. It was found that with precise knowledge of the concentration-dependent self-diffusion and impurity diffusion coefficients a distinction between the Darken-Manning treatment and Nernst-Planck treatment can be made, which is not possible on the basis of the determined concentration-depth profiles alone.

  10. Epitaxial growth of Ge-Sb-Te based phase change materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perumal, Karthick

    2013-01-01

    Ge-Sb-Te based phase change materials are considered as a prime candidate for optical and electrical data storage applications. With the application of an optical or electrical pulse, they can be reversibly switched between amorphous and crystalline state, thereby exhibiting large optical and electrical contrast between the two phases, which are then stored as information in the form of binary digits. Single crystalline growth is interesting from both the academic and industrial perspective, as ordered Ge-Sb-Te based metamaterials are known to exhibit switching at reduced energies. The present study deals with the epitaxial growth and analysis of Ge-Sb-Te based thin films. The first part of the thesis deals with the epitaxial growth of GeTe. Thin films of GeTe were grown on highly mismatched Si(111) and (001) substrates. On both the substrate orientations the film grows along [111] direction with an amorphous-to-crystalline transition observed during the initial stages of growth. The amorphous-to-crystalline transition was studied in-vivo using azimuthal reflection high-energy electron diffraction scans and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. In the second part of the thesis epitaxy and characterization of Sb 2 Te 3 thin films are presented. The third part of the thesis deals with the epitaxy of ternary Ge-Sb-Te alloys. The composition of the films are shown to be highly dependent on growth temperatures and vary along the pseudobinary line from Sb 2 Te 3 to GeTe with increase in growth temperatures. A line-of-sight quadrupole mass spectrometer was used to reliably control the GeSbTe growth temperature. Growth was performed at different Ge, Sb, Te fluxes to study the compositional variation of the films. Incommensurate peaks are observed along the [111] direction by X-ray diffraction. The possibility of superstructural vacancy ordering along the [111] direction is discussed.

  11. Carbon dioxide and water adsorption on highly epitaxial Delafossite CuFeO2 thin film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rojas, S.; Joshi, T.; Borisov, P.; Sarabia, M.; Lederman, D.; Cabrera, A. L.

    2015-03-01

    Thermal programmed desorption (TPD) of CO2 and H2O from a 200 nm thick CuFeO2 Delafossite surface was performed in a standard UHV chamber, The CuFeO2 thin film grown using Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) over an Al2O3 (0001) substrate with controlled O2 atmosphere resulted with highly epitaxial crystal structure. The adsorption/desorption of CO2 and H2O process was also monitored with X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES). Our results revealed that carbon dioxide interacts with CuFeO2 forming Fe carbonates compounds on its surface. Hydroxides were also formed on the surface due to water presence. Using TPD data, Arrhenius plots for CO2 and water desorption were done and activation energy for desorption was obtained. Funds FONDECyT 1130372; Thanks to P. Ferrari.

  12. Hysteretic Vortex-Matching Effects in High-Tc Superconductors with Nanoscale Periodic Pinning Landscapes Fabricated by He Ion-Beam Projection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zechner, G.; Jausner, F.; Haag, L. T.; Lang, W.; Dosmailov, M.; Bodea, M. A.; Pedarnig, J. D.

    2017-07-01

    Square arrays of submicrometer columnar defects in thin YBa2 Cu3 O7 -δ (YBCO) films with spacings down to 300 nm are fabricated by a He ion-beam projection technique. Pronounced peaks in the critical current and corresponding minima in the resistance demonstrate the commensurate arrangement of flux quanta with the artificial pinning landscape, despite the strong intrinsic pinning in epitaxial YBCO films. While these vortex-matching signatures are exactly at the predicted values in field-cooled experiments, they are displaced in zero-field-cooled, magnetic-field-ramped experiments, conserving the equidistance of the matching peaks and minima. These observations reveal an unconventional critical state in a cuprate superconductor with an artificial, periodic pinning array. The long-term stability of such out-of-equilibrium vortex arrangements paves the way for electronic applications employing fluxons.

  13. Simulation of YBCO Tape and Coils in HTS Maglev System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Song Mengxiao

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In the process of running high temperature superconducting maglev train, the AC(Alternating Current loss of superconducting coil is directly related to its safe operation and operating cost. In this paper, the simulation model was built based on the finite element software COMSOL Multiphysics, and mainly simulated and calculated the AC losses of YBCO(Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide tape and coils. In this model, as the solving object, the singular and infinite long YBCO tape and coils model was solved with H-formulation and the nonlinear characteristic (E-J constitutive law and anisotrophy (B-J characteristic were taken into consideration as the theoretical foundation. Then on the basis of the model under maglev suspension system, AC losses under different amplitude and frequence AC currents were calculated. The results shows that under different frequencies and dynamic components, the local maximum AC loss of YBCO tape and coils occurs when the steady-state DC(Direct Current current is 30A. Then comparing with old maglev suspension system, the new system can greatly reduce the energy consumption and the material cost.

  14. Growth of thick La{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7} buffer layers for coated conductors by polymer-assisted chemical solution deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Xin, E-mail: xzhang@my.swjtu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation Technologies and Maglev Trains, Ministry of Education of China, Superconductivity and New Energy Center (SNEC), Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); School of Electrical Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Zhao, Yong, E-mail: yzhao@swjtu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation Technologies and Maglev Trains, Ministry of Education of China, Superconductivity and New Energy Center (SNEC), Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052 NSW (Australia); Xia, Yudong [State Key Lab of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054 (China); Guo, Chunsheng [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation Technologies and Maglev Trains, Ministry of Education of China, Superconductivity and New Energy Center (SNEC), Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Cheng, C.H. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052 NSW (Australia); Zhang, Yong [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation Technologies and Maglev Trains, Ministry of Education of China, Superconductivity and New Energy Center (SNEC), Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Zhang, Han [Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

    2015-06-15

    Highlights: • We develops a low-cost and high-efficient technology of fabricating LZO buffer layers. • Sufficient thickness LZO buffer layers have been obtained on NiW (2 0 0) alloy substrate. • Highly biaxially textured YBCO thin film has been deposited on LZO/NiW. - Abstract: La{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7} (LZO) epitaxial films have been deposited on LaAlO{sub 3} (LAO) (1 0 0) single-crystal surface and bi-axially textured NiW (2 0 0) alloy substrate by polymer-assisted chemical solution deposition, and afterwards studied with XRD, SEM and AFM approaches. Highly in-plane and out-of-plane oriented, dense, smooth, crack free and with a sufficient thickness (>240 nm) LZO buffer layers have been obtained on LAO (1 0 0) single-crystal surface; The films deposited on NiW (2 0 0) alloy substrate are also found with high degree in-plane and out-of-plane texturing, good density with pin-hole-free, micro-crack-free nature and a thickness of 300 nm. Highly epitaxial 500 nm thick YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−x} (YBCO) thin film exhibits the self-field critical current density (Jc) reached 1.3 MA/cm{sup 2} at 77 K .These results demonstrate the LZO epi-films obtained with current techniques have potential to be a buffer layer for REBCO coated conductors.

  15. Optical characterization of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−δ} thin film modified gold nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naujok, P.; Katzer, C. [Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Solid State Physics, Helmholtzweg 5, 07743 Jena (Germany); Schmidl, G., E-mail: gabriele.schmidl@ipht-jena.de [Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT), Albert-Einstein-Straße 9, 07745 Jena (Germany); Jatschka, J.; Fritzsche, W. [Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT), Albert-Einstein-Straße 9, 07745 Jena (Germany); Schmidl, F. [Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Solid State Physics, Helmholtzweg 5, 07743 Jena (Germany)

    2015-12-01

    Highlights: • Different thick YBCO layers allow an active control of particle sizes and density distributions on film surfaces. • The gold volume on the YBCO film surface decreases with increasing YBCO layer thickness. • Combining SEM and dark-field microscopy via image processing. • Clear correlation of scattering spectrum and addressed particles supporting by a new Ti-marker technology. - Abstract: We report on the influence of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7−δ} (YBCO) thin films on the self-organized formation of gold nanoparticles. A thickness variation of the YBCO film allows one to actively control the size of the particles and their density distribution. In this context, the particle forming process is discussed. The YBCO matrix can be removed in order to reduce the particle density on the substrate. The remaining modified particles can be used in plasmonic applications. Combining scanning electron microscopy and dark-field microscopy permits one to identify a correlation of the measured scattering spectra with the physical properties of each studied particle. A clear assignment of spectrum and particle is supported by a new Ti-marker technology and image processing. Growth parameters allow the scientist to tune the spectral peak position of the plasmon resonance and the spectral bandwidth.

  16. Spin wave and percolation studies in epitaxial La{sub 2/3}Sr{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3} thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ettayfi, A. [LPMMAT, Faculté des Sciences Ain chock, Université Hassan II de Casablanca, B.P. 5366 Casablanca (Morocco); Moubah, R., E-mail: reda.moubah@hotmail.fr [LPMMAT, Faculté des Sciences Ain chock, Université Hassan II de Casablanca, B.P. 5366 Casablanca (Morocco); Hlil, E.K. [Institut Néel, CNRS, Université Joseph Fourier, BP 166, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Colis, S.; Lenertz, M.; Dinia, A. [Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), UMR 7504 UDS-CNRS (UDS-ECPM), 23 rue du Loess, BP 43, F-67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2 (France); Lassri, H. [LPMMAT, Faculté des Sciences Ain chock, Université Hassan II de Casablanca, B.P. 5366 Casablanca (Morocco)

    2016-07-01

    We investigate the magnetic and transport properties of high quality La{sub 2/3}Sr{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3} thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction shows that the deposited films are epitaxial with the expected pseudo-cubic structure. Using the spin wave theory, the temperature dependence of magnetization was satisfactory modeled at low temperature, in which several fundamental magnetic parameters were obtained (spin wave stiffness, exchange constants, Fermi wave-vector, Mn–Mn interatomic distance). The transport properties were studied via the temperature dependence of electrical resistivity [ρ(T)], which shows a peak at Curie temperature due to metal to insulator transition. The percolation theory was used to simulate ρ(T) in both the ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases. Reasonable agreement with the experimental data is reported. - Highlights: • The magnetic and transport properties of epitaxial La{sub 2/3}Sr{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3} thin films are investigated. • The M(T) curve was modeled at low temperature, and several magnetic parameters were obtained using spin wave theory. • The percolation theory was used to simulate ρ(T) in both the ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases.

  17. Atomic layer deposition of perovskite oxides and their epitaxial integration with Si, Ge, and other semiconductors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McDaniel, Martin D.; Ngo, Thong Q.; Hu, Shen; Ekerdt, John G., E-mail: ekerdt@utexas.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Posadas, Agham; Demkov, Alexander A. [Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States)

    2015-12-15

    Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a proven technique for the conformal deposition of oxide thin films with nanoscale thickness control. Most successful industrial applications have been with binary oxides, such as Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and HfO{sub 2}. However, there has been much effort to deposit ternary oxides, such as perovskites (ABO{sub 3}), with desirable properties for advanced thin film applications. Distinct challenges are presented by the deposition of multi-component oxides using ALD. This review is intended to highlight the research of the many groups that have deposited perovskite oxides by ALD methods. Several commonalities between the studies are discussed. Special emphasis is put on precursor selection, deposition temperatures, and specific property performance (high-k, ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, etc.). Finally, the monolithic integration of perovskite oxides with semiconductors by ALD is reviewed. High-quality epitaxial growth of oxide thin films has traditionally been limited to physical vapor deposition techniques (e.g., molecular beam epitaxy). However, recent studies have demonstrated that epitaxial oxide thin films may be deposited on semiconductor substrates using ALD. This presents an exciting opportunity to integrate functional perovskite oxides for advanced semiconductor applications in a process that is economical and scalable.

  18. Atomic layer deposition of perovskite oxides and their epitaxial integration with Si, Ge, and other semiconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McDaniel, Martin D.; Ngo, Thong Q.; Hu, Shen; Ekerdt, John G.; Posadas, Agham; Demkov, Alexander A.

    2015-01-01

    Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a proven technique for the conformal deposition of oxide thin films with nanoscale thickness control. Most successful industrial applications have been with binary oxides, such as Al 2 O 3 and HfO 2 . However, there has been much effort to deposit ternary oxides, such as perovskites (ABO 3 ), with desirable properties for advanced thin film applications. Distinct challenges are presented by the deposition of multi-component oxides using ALD. This review is intended to highlight the research of the many groups that have deposited perovskite oxides by ALD methods. Several commonalities between the studies are discussed. Special emphasis is put on precursor selection, deposition temperatures, and specific property performance (high-k, ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, etc.). Finally, the monolithic integration of perovskite oxides with semiconductors by ALD is reviewed. High-quality epitaxial growth of oxide thin films has traditionally been limited to physical vapor deposition techniques (e.g., molecular beam epitaxy). However, recent studies have demonstrated that epitaxial oxide thin films may be deposited on semiconductor substrates using ALD. This presents an exciting opportunity to integrate functional perovskite oxides for advanced semiconductor applications in a process that is economical and scalable

  19. Strain analysis of I-c(epsilon) characteristic of YBCO coated conductor measured by a Walters spring

    OpenAIRE

    Sugano, M; Choi, S; Miyazoe, A; Miyamatsu, K; Ando, T; Itoh, K; Kiyoshi, T; Wada, H; Selvamanickam, V

    2008-01-01

    lc-strain characteristic of YBCO coated conductor was measured using a Walters spring (WASP). In this technique, additional bending and thermal strains induced to the YBCO layer should be considered. In order to produce different initial bending strain to the YBCO layer, the conductor was wound around the springs with different diameters and in the different bending directions. The clear evidence was obtained that -strain curves using a WASP strongly depend on the initial bending strain state...

  20. Effect of crystal orientation on the phase diagrams, dielectric and piezoelectric properties of epitaxial BaTiO{sub 3} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Huaping, E-mail: wuhuaping@gmail.com, E-mail: hpwu@zjut.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of E& M (Zhejiang University of Technology), Ministry of Education & Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014 (China); State Key Laboratory of Structural Analysis for Industrial Equipment, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Ma, Xuefu; Zhang, Zheng; Zeng, Jun; Chai, Guozhong [Key Laboratory of E& M (Zhejiang University of Technology), Ministry of Education & Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014 (China); Wang, Jie [Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China)

    2016-01-15

    The influence of crystal orientations on the phase diagrams, dielectric and piezoelectric properties of epitaxial BaTiO{sub 3} thin films has been investigated using an expanded nonlinear thermodynamic theory. The calculations reveal that crystal orientation has significant influence on the phase stability and phase transitions in the misfit strain-temperature phase diagrams. In particular, the (110) orientation leads to a lower symmetry and more complicated phase transition than the (111) orientation in BaTiO{sub 3} films. The increase of compressive strain will dramatically enhance the Curie temperature T{sub C} of (110)-oriented BaTiO{sub 3} films, which matches well with previous experimental data. The polarization components experience a great change across the boundaries of different phases at room temperature in both (110)- and (111)-oriented films, which leads to the huge dielectric and piezoelectric responses. A good agreement is found between the present thermodynamics calculation and previous first-principles calculations. Our work provides an insight into how to use crystal orientation, epitaxial strain and temperature to tune the structure and properties of ferroelectrics.

  1. Structural and dielectric properties of (001) and (111)-oriented BaZr0.2Ti0.8O3 epitaxial thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ventura, J.; Fina, I.; Ferrater, C.; Langenberg, E.; Coy, L.E.; Polo, M.C.; Garcia-Cuenca, M.V.; Fabrega, L.; Varela, M.

    2010-01-01

    We have grown and characterized BaZr 0.2 Ti 0.8 O 3 (BZT) epitaxial thin films deposited on (001) and (111)-oriented SrRuO 3 -buffered SrTiO 3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Structural and morphological characterizations were performed using X-ray diffractometry and atomic force microscopy, respectively. A cube-on-cube epitaxial relationship was ascertained from the θ-2θ and φ diffractograms in both (001) and (111)-oriented films. The (001)-oriented films showed a smooth granular morphology, whereas the faceted pyramid-like crystallites of the (111)-oriented films led to a rough surface. The dielectric response of BZT at room temperature was measured along the growth direction. The films were found to be ferroelectric, although a well-saturated hysteresis loop was obtained only for the (001)-oriented films. High leakage currents were observed for the (111) orientation, likely associated to charge transport along the boundaries of its crystallites. The remanent polarization, coercive field, dielectric constant, and relative change of dielectric permittivity (tunability) of (111)-oriented BZT were higher than those of (001)-oriented BZT.

  2. Influence of initial pH on the microstructure of YBa2Cu3O7−x superconducting thin films derived from DEA-aqueous sol–gel method

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xiao, Tang; Yue, Zhao; Grivel, Jean-Claude

    2013-01-01

    A fluorine-free aqueous sol–gel technique was used to fabricate YBCO superconducting thin films. Acetic acid was added in order to modify the complexation process taking place between the metal cations and the organic chelating agents. The electrical resistance and the pH value were used as indic......A fluorine-free aqueous sol–gel technique was used to fabricate YBCO superconducting thin films. Acetic acid was added in order to modify the complexation process taking place between the metal cations and the organic chelating agents. The electrical resistance and the pH value were used...

  3. Epitaxial strain-engineered self-assembly of magnetic nanostructures in FeRh thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Witte, Ralf; Kruk, Robert; Molinari, Alan; Wang, Di; Brand, Richard A; Hahn, Horst; Schlabach, Sabine; Provenzano, Virgil

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we introduce an innovative bottom–up approach for engineering self-assembled magnetic nanostructures using epitaxial strain-induced twinning and phase separation. X-ray diffraction, 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy show that epitaxial films of a near-equiatomic FeRh alloy respond to the applied epitaxial strain by laterally splitting into two structural phases on the nanometer length scale. Most importantly, these two structural phases differ with respect to their magnetic properties, one being paramagnetic and the other ferromagnetic, thus leading to the formation of a patterned magnetic nanostructure. It is argued that the phase separation directly results from the different strain-dependence of the total energy of the two competing phases. This straightforward relation directly enables further tailoring and optimization of the nanostructures’ properties. (paper)

  4. Epitaxial growth of bcc-Fe{sub x}Co{sub 100-x} thin films on MgO(1 1 0) single-crystal substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ohtake, Mitsuru, E-mail: ohtake@futamoto.elect.chuo-u.ac.j [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551 (Japan); Nishiyama, Tsutomu; Shikada, Kouhei [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551 (Japan); Kirino, Fumiyoshi [Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, 12-8 Ueno-koen, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8714 (Japan); Futamoto, Masaaki [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551 (Japan)

    2010-07-15

    Fe{sub x}Co{sub 100-x} (x=100, 65, 50 at%) epitaxial thin films were prepared on MgO(1 1 0) single-crystal substrates heated at 300 deg. C by ultra-high vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The film structure and the growth mechanism are discussed. FeCo(2 1 1) films with bcc structure grow epitaxially on MgO(1 1 0) substrates with two types of variants whose orientations are rotated around the film normal by 180 deg. each other for all compositions. Fe{sub x}Co{sub 100-x} film growth follows the Volmer Weber mode. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings are in agreement with the values of respective bulk Fe{sub x}Co{sub 100-x} crystals with very small errors less than +-0.4%, suggesting the strains in the films are very small. High-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy shows that periodical misfit dislocations are preferentially introduced in the film at the Fe{sub 50}Co{sub 50}/MgO interface along the MgO[1 1-bar 0] direction. The presence of such periodical dislocations decreases the large lattice mismatch of about -17% existing at the FeCo/MgO interface along the MgO[1 1-bar 0] direction.

  5. Photoenhanced atomic layer epitaxy. Hikari reiki genshiso epitaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mashita, M.; Kawakyu, Y. (Toshiba corp., Tokyo (Japan))

    1991-10-01

    The growth temperature range was greatly expanded of atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) expected as the growth process of ultra-thin stacks. Ga layers and As layers were formed one after the other on a GaAs substrate in the atmosphere of trimethylgallium (TMG) or AsH{sub 2} supplied alternately, by KrF excimer laser irradiation normal to the substrate. As a result, the growth temperature range was 460-540{degree}C nearly 10 times that of 500 {plus minus} several degrees centigrade in conventional thermal growth method. Based on the experimental result where light absorption of source molecules adsorbed on a substrate surface was larger than that under gaseous phase condition, new adsorbed layer enhancement model was proposed to explain above irradiation effect verifying it by experiments. As this photoenhancement technique is applied to other materials, possible fabrication of new crystal structures as a super lattice with ultra-thin stacks of single atomic layers is expected because of a larger freedom in material combination for hetero-ALE. 11 refs., 7 figs.

  6. Effects of strain on the magnetic and transport properties of the epitaxial La{sub 0.5}Ca{sub 0.5}MnO{sub 3} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zarifi, M. [Department of Physics, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Kameli, P., E-mail: kameli@cc.iut.ac.ir [Department of Physics, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ehsani, M.H. [Department of Physics, Semnan University, Semnan 35195-363 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ahmadvand, H.; Salamati, H. [Department of Physics, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2016-12-15

    The epitaxial strain can considerably modify the physical properties of thin films compared to the bulk. This paper reports the effects of substrate-induced strain on La{sub 0.5}Ca{sub 0.5}MnO{sub 3} (LCMO) thin films, grown on (100) SrTiO{sub 3} (STO) and LaAlO{sub 3} (LAO) substrates by pulsed laser deposition technique. Transport and magnetic properties were found to be strongly dependent on strain type. It is also shown that compressive (tensile) strain leads to the increase (decrease) in the magnetization of the films. Moreover, it was observed that all LCMO films deposited on both LAO and STO substrates behave as an insulator, but LCMO/LAO thin films with compressive strain have lower resistivity than LCMO/STO thin films with tensile strain. Applying magnetic field to LCMO/STO thin films with thickness of 25 and 50 nm leads to very small change in the resistivity, while the effects of magnetic field on the sample with thickness of 125 nm leads to an insulator–metal transition. For LCMO/LAO thin films, the magnetic field has a strong impact on the resistivity of samples. The results show that the magnetoresistance (MR) is enhanced by increasing film thickness for LCMO/LAO samples, due to the relatively stronger phase separation. For LCMO/STO thin films MR is drastically decreased by reduction of film thickness, which is attributed to the enhancement of the charge–orbital order (CO–O) accompanying the complex spin order (the so-called CE type). The changes of the antiferromagnetic structure from the CE to C type and the enhancement of the CE type could be attributed to the in-plane compressive and tensile strain, respectively. - Highlights: • Epitaxial La{sub 0.5}Ca{sub 0.5}MnO{sub 3} thin films, grown on (100) SrTiO{sub 3} and LaAlO{sub 3} substrates. • The compressive strain leads to the increase in the magnetization of the films. • The tensile strain leads to the decrease in the magnetization of the films. • The magnetoresistance is enhanced by

  7. EuO and Gd-doped EuO thin films. Epitaxial growth and properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sutarto, Ronny

    2009-01-01

    quality of many of the doped EuO samples used in the past bulk studies. The focus of this thesis is on the preparation and the properties of high-quality single-crystalline EuO and Gd-doped EuO thin films. The so-called Eu-distillation-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been employed to achieve full control of the stoichiometry. The films have been epitaxially grown on yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (YSZ) (001) substrates. By a systematic variation of the oxygen deposition rates, we have been able to observe sustained oscillations in the intensity of the reflection high-electron energy diffraction (RHEED) pattern during growth. We thus have demonstrated that layer-by-layer growth has been achieved for the first time. We also have confirmed that YSZ indeed supplies oxygen during the initial stages of growth, yet the EuO stoichiometry can still be well maintained. In the case of Gd-doped EuO films, the presence of Gd even helps to stabilize the layer-by-layer growth mode. It is important to achieve this growth mode, since it enables the preparation of films with very smooth and at surfaces. This in turn facilitates the capping of the films with a thin Al overlayer in order to protect the films against degradation under ambient conditions. More important, the smoothness of the lm will enable the preparation of high quality device structures. By using ex-situ soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Eu and Gd M 4,5 edges, we have confirmed that the films are completely free from Eu 3+ contaminants, and we were able to determine reliably the actual Gd concentration. This actual Gd concentration could in fact significantly deviate from the nominal Gd/Eu evaporation ratio. From magnetization and susceptibility measurements, we found the Curie temperature to increase smoothly as a function of doping from 69 K up to a maximum of 125 K, all with a saturation moment of 7 μB. A threshold behavior was not observed for Gd concentrations as low as 0.2 %. Analysis of the

  8. EuO and Gd-doped EuO thin films. Epitaxial growth and properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sutarto, Ronny

    2009-07-06

    this respect the quality of many of the doped EuO samples used in the past bulk studies. The focus of this thesis is on the preparation and the properties of high-quality single-crystalline EuO and Gd-doped EuO thin films. The so-called Eu-distillation-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been employed to achieve full control of the stoichiometry. The films have been epitaxially grown on yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (YSZ) (001) substrates. By a systematic variation of the oxygen deposition rates, we have been able to observe sustained oscillations in the intensity of the reflection high-electron energy diffraction (RHEED) pattern during growth. We thus have demonstrated that layer-by-layer growth has been achieved for the first time. We also have confirmed that YSZ indeed supplies oxygen during the initial stages of growth, yet the EuO stoichiometry can still be well maintained. In the case of Gd-doped EuO films, the presence of Gd even helps to stabilize the layer-by-layer growth mode. It is important to achieve this growth mode, since it enables the preparation of films with very smooth and at surfaces. This in turn facilitates the capping of the films with a thin Al overlayer in order to protect the films against degradation under ambient conditions. More important, the smoothness of the lm will enable the preparation of high quality device structures. By using ex-situ soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Eu and Gd M{sub 4,5} edges, we have confirmed that the films are completely free from Eu{sup 3+} contaminants, and we were able to determine reliably the actual Gd concentration. This actual Gd concentration could in fact significantly deviate from the nominal Gd/Eu evaporation ratio. From magnetization and susceptibility measurements, we found the Curie temperature to increase smoothly as a function of doping from 69 K up to a maximum of 125 K, all with a saturation moment of 7 {mu}B. A threshold behavior was not observed for Gd concentrations

  9. Activity in SRL Nagoya Coated Conductor Center for YBCO Coated Conductor by IBAD+ PLD Method -Long, high Ic conductor and a new bamboo-like nanostructure for efficient pinning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamada, Yutaka; Ibi, Akira; Fukushima, Hiroyuki; Kuriki, Reiji; Takahashi, Kazuhiro; Kobayashi, Hiroyoshi; Ishida, Satoru; Konishi, Masaya; Miyata, Seiki; Watanabe, Tomonori; Kato, Takeharu; Hirayama, Tsukasa; Shiohara, Yuh

    2006-01-01

    In SRL-Nagoya Coated Conductor Center (NCCC), long buffered substrate tapes and YBCO coated conductors have been successfully fabricated by using ion-beam assisted deposition (IBAD) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) methods. For the buffered tape, the PLD-CeO2 method, what we call the 'Self-Epitaxial' method, realized the high degree of in-plane texturing around 4 degrees along the length of 220 m. For YBCO deposition, we have recently introduced new reel-to-reel PLD equipment with a multi-plume and multi-turn deposition system (MPMT PLD). This system succeeded in fabricating a long coated conductor with a high critical current, Ic, of 245 A and length of 212 m. Ic xL (length) reached the world record of 51940 Am. Furthermore, the introduction of artificial pinning center and RE 123 materials were also studied for improving flux pinning and enhancing Ic. A new columnar structure of the 'bamboo structure' (BaZrO3/Y123 layer-stacked structure) was found in Y123+YSZ sample. This columnar structure and the stacking faults in Gd123 were found to be effective for enhancing pinning properties. Using these techniques, we have succeeded in increasing Ic at 0 T to 480 A/cm and also enhancing Ic in a magnetic field

  10. Stranski-Krastanow islanding initiated on the stochastic rough surfaces of the epitaxially strained thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarik Ogurtani, Omer; Celik, Aytac; Emre Oren, Ersin

    2014-01-01

    Quantum dots (QD) have discrete energy spectrum, which can be adjusted over a wide range by tuning composition, density, size, lattice strain, and morphology. These features make quantum dots attractive for the design and fabrication of novel electronic, magnetic and photonic devices and other functional materials used in cutting-edge applications. The formation of QD on epitaxially strained thin film surfaces, known as Stranski-Krastanow (SK) islands, has attracted great attention due to their unique electronic properties. Here, we present a systematic dynamical simulation study for the spontaneous evolution of the SK islands on the stochastically rough surfaces (nucleationless growth). During the development of SK islands through the mass accumulation at randomly selected regions of the film via surface drift-diffusion (induced by the capillary and mismatch stresses) with and/or without growth, one also observes the formation of an extremely thin wetting layer having a thickness of a few Angstroms. Above a certain threshold level of the mismatch strain and/or the size of the patch, the formation of multiple islands separated by shallow wetting layers is also observed as metastable states such as doublets even multiplets. These islands are converted into a distinct SK islands after long annealing times by coalescence through the long range surface diffusion. Extensive computer simulation studies demonstrated that after an initial transient regime, there is a strong quadratic relationship between the height of the SK singlet and the intensity of the lattice mismatch strain (in a wide range of stresses up to 8.5 GPa for germanium thin crystalline films), with the exception at those critical points where the morphological (shape change with necking) transition takes place.

  11. Atomic layer epitaxy of hematite on indium tin oxide for application in solar energy conversion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinson, Alex B.; Riha, Shannon; Guo, Peijun; Emery, Jonathan D.

    2016-07-12

    A method to provide an article of manufacture of iron oxide on indium tin oxide for solar energy conversion. An atomic layer epitaxy method is used to deposit an uncommon bixbytite-phase iron (III) oxide (.beta.-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3) which is deposited at low temperatures to provide 99% phase pure .beta.-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 thin films on indium tin oxide. Subsequent annealing produces pure .alpha.-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 with well-defined epitaxy via a topotactic transition. These highly crystalline films in the ultra thin film limit enable high efficiency photoelectrochemical chemical water splitting.

  12. Interplay of uniaxial and cubic anisotropy in epitaxial Fe thin films on MgO (001 substrate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Srijani Mallik

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Epitaxial Fe thin films were grown on annealed MgO(001 substrates at oblique incidence by DC magnetron sputtering. Due to the oblique growth configuration, uniaxial anisotropy was found to be superimposed on the expected four-fold cubic anisotropy. A detailed study of in-plane magnetic hysteresis for Fe on MgO thin films has been performed by Magneto Optic Kerr Effect (MOKE magnetometer. Both single step and double step loops have been observed depending on the angle between the applied field and easy axis i.e. along ⟨100⟩ direction. Domain images during magnetization reversal were captured by Kerr microscope. Domain images clearly evidence two successive and separate 90° domain wall (DW nucleation and motion along cubic easy cum uniaxial easy axis and cubic easy cum uniaxial hard axis, respectively. However, along cubic hard axis two 180° domain wall motion dominate the magnetization reversal process. In spite of having four-fold anisotropy it is essential to explain magnetization reversal mechanism in 0°< ϕ < 90° span as uniaxial anisotropy plays a major role in this system. Also it is shown that substrate rotation can suppress the effect of uniaxial anisotropy superimposed on four-fold anisotropy.

  13. Mechanical and Magnetic Properties of YBCO Superconductor with Bi/CNT Composite and Resin/CNT Impregnation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oh, W. S.; Jang, G. E.; Han, Y. H.; Sung, T. H.

    2007-01-01

    Bi/CNT composite and resin/CNT were chosen to improve the mechanical properties of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) superconductor. In order to elucidate the effects of Bi/CNT composite and resin/CNT in YBCO superconductors, melt texture superconductor were impregnated by mixed compound of Bi and CNT into the artificial holes parallel to the c-axis, which were drilled on the YBCO superconductor. Various amount of Bi/CNT and resin/CNT were impregnated to YBCO superconductor with different holes diameters. Typical artificial holes diameters were 0.5, 0.7, and 1.0 mm respectively. Result of three-point bending test measurement, the bending strength with resin/CNT impregnation was improved up to 59.64 MPa as compared with 50.79 MPa of resin/CNT free bulk. Resin/CNT impregnation has been found to be one of the effective ways in improving the mechanical properties of bulk superconductor.

  14. Research Update: Enhanced energy storage density and energy efficiency of epitaxial Pb0.9La0.1(Zr0.52Ti0.48O3 relaxor-ferroelectric thin-films deposited on silicon by pulsed laser deposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Minh D. Nguyen

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Pb0.9La0.1(Zr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PLZT relaxor-ferroelectric thin films were grown on SrRuO3/SrTiO3/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition. A large recoverable storage density (Ureco of 13.7 J/cm3 together with a high energy efficiency (η of 88.2% under an applied electric field of 1000 kV/cm and at 1 kHz frequency was obtained in 300-nm-thick epitaxial PLZT thin films. These high values are due to the slim and asymmetric hysteresis loop when compared to the values in the reference undoped epitaxial lead zirconate titanate Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48O3 ferroelectric thin films (Ureco = 9.2 J/cm3 and η = 56.4% which have a high remanent polarization and a small shift in the hysteresis loop, under the same electric field.

  15. Selenidation of epitaxial silicene on ZrB2

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wiggers, F. B.; Yamada-Takamura, Y.; Kovalgin, A. Y.; de Jong, M. P.

    2018-01-01

    The deposition of elemental Se on epitaxial silicene on ZrB2 thin films was investigated with synchrotron-based core-level photoelectron spectroscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. The deposition of Se at room temperature caused the appearance of Si 2p peaks with chemical shifts of n × 0.51 ±

  16. Oxygen incorporation effects in annealed epitaxial La(1-x)SrxMnO3 thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petrisor, T.; Gabor, M. S.; Tiusan, C.; Boulle, A.; Bellouard, C.; Pana, O.; Petrisor, T.

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents our results regarding oxygen incorporation effects in epitaxial La (1-x) Sr x MnO 3 thin films, deposited on SrTiO 3 (001) single crystal substrates, by annealing in different gas mixtures of argon and oxygen. A particular emphasis is placed on the correlation of structural properties with the magnetic properties of the films, Curie temperature, and coercive field. In this sense, we demonstrate that the evolution of the diffuse part of the ω-scans performed on the films are due to oxygen excess in the film lattice, which creates cationic vacancies within the films. Also, we show that two regimes of oxygen incorporation in the films exist, one in which the films evolve toward a single phase and oxygen stoichiometry is recovered, and a second one dominated by oxygen over-doping effects. In order to support our study, XPS measurements were performed, from which we have evaluated the Mn 3+ /Mn 4+ ionic ratio.

  17. Study of the inhomogeneous characteristics of modified YBa_2Cu_3O_7_-_d thin films and (YBa_2Cu_3O_7_-_d /LaAlO_3)_n superlattices: growth and properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thimont, Yohann

    2009-01-01

    This manuscript is devoted to the study of crystallographic and physical properties of superconductor YBCO thin films and superconductor/insulator (YBCO/LAO)_n superlattices. The first stage of this work was to optimize the YBCO thin film deposition. Elaboration of a new physical model allows us to determine a critical temperature distribution inside the films thickness. Nevertheless, no homogeneous critical temperature inside the films can be obtained. This work shows that the interface strains modify the crystallographic and physical properties. We developed a new simulation method concerning the XRD peak shape analysis which allows us to determine YBCO cell deformation profile along the c-bar axis. About superlattices, effects of thickness on the physical and structural properties have been noticed. Transmission Electron Microscopy exhibits existence of structural defects in the films. Ending, the physical model proposed in the present work provides important information regarding the magnetic interaction between two superconductor layers, which seems to limit application of these superlattices in the realization of complex electronic devices. (author) [fr

  18. Research on resistance characteristics of YBCO tape under short-time DC large current impact

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhifeng; Yang, Jiabin; Qiu, Qingquan; Zhang, Guomin; Lin, Liangzhen

    2017-06-01

    Research of the resistance characteristics of YBCO tape under short-time DC large current impact is the foundation of the developing DC superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) for voltage source converter-based high voltage direct current system (VSC-HVDC), which is one of the valid approaches to solve the problems of renewable energy integration. SFCL can limit DC short-circuit and enhance the interrupting capabilities of DC circuit breakers. In this paper, under short-time DC large current impacts, the resistance features of naked tape of YBCO tape are studied to find the resistance - temperature change rule and the maximum impact current. The influence of insulation for the resistance - temperature characteristics of YBCO tape is studied by comparison tests with naked tape and insulating tape in 77 K. The influence of operating temperature on the tape is also studied under subcooled liquid nitrogen condition. For the current impact security of YBCO tape, the critical current degradation and top temperature are analyzed and worked as judgment standards. The testing results is helpful for in developing SFCL in VSC-HVDC.

  19. Development of a 20kA current feedthrough using YBCO bulk conductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maehata, Keisuke; Ishibashi, Kenji; Shintomi, Takakazu; Iwamoto, Akifumi; Maekawa, Ryuji; Mito, Toshiyuki

    2004-01-01

    In the phase II experiment of the Large Helical Device (LHD) of the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), it is planned to operate the helical coils at 1.8 K by employing pressurized superfluid cooling to raise the magnetic field to 4 T with 17.3 kA. It is important to develop a 20kA-class current feedthrough into the 1.8 K region, but it must have a high current capacity and low heat leakage in the maximum magnetic leakage field of 1 T. Rectangle-shaped YBCO bulk conductors measuring 20 mm wide, 140 mm long and 10 mm thick were manufactured from square-pillar-shaped YBCO bulk materials for a 20 kA current. To check the quality of the bulk conductors, internal defects or cracks were detected by carrying out a precise survey of trapped magnetic flux. An assembled 20 kA current feedthrough was mounted in the λ-plate of a pressurized superfluid cooling cryostat. Experiments of current feeding into the 1.8 K region were carried out by operating the 20 kA current feedthrough. In the experiments, the transport current was kept at 20 kA for longer than 1,200 s. During the 20 kA operation, the current transport section of the YBCO bulk conductors remained in the superconducting state and the voltage drop between the YBCO bulk conductors and the copper electrode was observed to be constant. A contact resistance and the Joule heat generation in the joint region between the YBCO bulk conductors and the copper electrode were obtained as 1.45 nΩ and 0.72 W, respectively in the 20 kA operation. We have demonstrated the feasibility of using a 20 kA current feedthrough for the phase II experiment of the LHD. (author)

  20. Heat conduction and thermal stabilization in YBCO tape

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) based 2G/3G tech- nical superconductors ... off-normal scenarios, these superconductors do exceed in an irreversible fashion .... ler G 2007 Factory testing of a 36·5 MW high temperature superconducting ...

  1. Epitaxial Bi2 FeCrO6 Multiferroic Thin Film as a New Visible Light Absorbing Photocathode Material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shun; AlOtaibi, Bandar; Huang, Wei; Mi, Zetian; Serpone, Nick; Nechache, Riad; Rosei, Federico

    2015-08-26

    Ferroelectric materials have been studied increasingly for solar energy conversion technologies due to the efficient charge separation driven by the polarization induced internal electric field. However, their insufficient conversion efficiency is still a major challenge. Here, a photocathode material of epitaxial double perovskite Bi(2) FeCrO(6) multiferroic thin film is reported with a suitable conduction band position and small bandgap (1.9-2.1 eV), for visible-light-driven reduction of water to hydrogen. Photoelectrochemical measurements show that the highest photocurrent density up to -1.02 mA cm(-2) at a potential of -0.97 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode is obtained in p-type Bi(2) FeCrO(6) thin film photocathode grown on SrTiO(3) substrate under AM 1.5G simulated sunlight. In addition, a twofold enhancement of photocurrent density is obtained after negatively poling the Bi(2) FeCrO(6) thin film, as a result of modulation of the band structure by suitable control of the internal electric field gradient originating from the ferroelectric polarization in the Bi(2) FeCrO(6) films. The findings validate the use of multiferroic Bi(2) FeCrO(6) thin films as photocathode materials, and also prove that the manipulation of internal fields through polarization in ferroelectric materials is a promising strategy for the design of improved photoelectrodes and smart devices for solar energy conversion. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Epitaxial stabilization of ordered Pd–Fe structures on perovskite substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harton, Renee M., E-mail: reneehar@umich.edu [Department of Physics, University of Michigan, 450 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Stoica, Vladimir A. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 201 Old Main, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Clarke, Roy [Department of Physics, University of Michigan, 450 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)

    2017-05-01

    We report the fabrication of epitaxial ferromagnetic Pd{sub 3}Fe thin films on SrTiO{sub 3}(001) substrates by promoting the interdiffusion of an Fe/Pd multilayer heterostructure using thermal annealing. Prior to annealing, the results of in-situ Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction characterization suggest that each Fe and Pd layer exhibited an in-plane epitaxial relationship with the SrTiO{sub 3}(001) substrate. X-Ray diffraction and magneto-optic Kerr effect characterization, conducted post-annealing, demonstrate that the film composition is majority Pd{sub 3}Fe and exhibits in-plane magnetization reversal with a moderate coercive field of ≈760 Oe. This demonstration of an ordered atomic layer heterostructure grown on a perovskite substrate suggests a route to epitaxial interfacial structures which can achieve strain-assisted magnetic switching.

  3. High-Performance Flexible Thin-Film Transistors Based on Single-Crystal-like Silicon Epitaxially Grown on Metal Tape by Roll-to-Roll Continuous Deposition Process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Ying; Asadirad, Mojtaba; Yao, Yao; Dutta, Pavel; Galstyan, Eduard; Shervin, Shahab; Lee, Keon-Hwa; Pouladi, Sara; Sun, Sicong; Li, Yongkuan; Rathi, Monika; Ryou, Jae-Hyun; Selvamanickam, Venkat

    2016-11-02

    Single-crystal-like silicon (Si) thin films on bendable and scalable substrates via direct deposition are a promising material platform for high-performance and cost-effective devices of flexible electronics. However, due to the thick and unintentionally highly doped semiconductor layer, the operation of transistors has been hampered. We report the first demonstration of high-performance flexible thin-film transistors (TFTs) using single-crystal-like Si thin films with a field-effect mobility of ∼200 cm 2 /V·s and saturation current, I/l W > 50 μA/μm, which are orders-of-magnitude higher than the device characteristics of conventional flexible TFTs. The Si thin films with a (001) plane grown on a metal tape by a "seed and epitaxy" technique show nearly single-crystalline properties characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, reflection high-energy electron diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The realization of flexible and high-performance Si TFTs can establish a new pathway for extended applications of flexible electronics such as amplification and digital circuits, more than currently dominant display switches.

  4. Microstructure of epitaxial SrRuO 3 thin films on MgO substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ai, Wan Yong; Zhu, Jun; Zhang, Ying; Li, Yan Rong; Liu, Xing Zhao; Wei, Xian Hua; Li, Jin Long; Zheng, Liang; Qin, Wen Feng; Liang, Zhu

    2006-09-01

    SrRuO 3 thin films have been grown on singular (1 0 0) MgO substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) in 30 Pa oxygen ambient and at a temperature of 400-700 °C. Ex situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) as well as X-ray diffraction (XRD) θ/2 θ scan indicated that the films deposited above 650 °C were well crystallized though they had a rough surface as shown by atom force microscopy (AFM). XRD Φ scans revealed that these films were composed of all three different types of orientation domains, which was further confirmed by the RHEED patterns. The heteroepitaxial relationship between SrRuO 3 and MgO was found to be [1 1 0] SRO//[1 0 0] MgO and 45°-rotated cube-on-cube [0 0 1] SRO//[1 0 0] MgO. These domain structures and surface morphology are similar to that of ever-reported SrRuO 3 thin films deposited on the (0 0 1) LaAlO 3 substrates, and different from those deposited on (0 0 1) SrTiO 3 substrates that have an atomically flat surface and are composed of only the [1 1 0]-type domains. The reason for this difference was ascribed to the effect of lattice mismatch across the film/substrate interface. The room temperature resistivity of SrRuO 3 films fabricated at 700 °C was 300 μΩ cm. Therefore, epitaxial SrRuO 3 films on MgO substrate could serve as a promising candidate of electrode materials for the fabrication of ferroelectric or dielectric films.

  5. Epitaxial c-axis oriented BaTiO3 thin films on SrTiO3-buffered Si(001) by atomic layer deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ngo, Thong Q.; McDaniel, Martin D.; Ekerdt, John G.; Posadas, Agham B.; Demkov, Alexander A.; Hu, Chengqing; Yu, Edward T.; Bruley, John

    2014-01-01

    Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of epitaxial c-axis oriented BaTiO 3 (BTO) on Si(001) using a thin (1.6 nm) buffer layer of SrTiO 3 (STO) grown by molecular beam epitaxy is reported. The ALD growth of crystalline BTO films at 225  °C used barium bis(triisopropylcyclopentadienyl), titanium tetraisopropoxide, and water as co-reactants. X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals a high degree of crystallinity and c-axis orientation of as-deposited BTO films. Crystallinity is improved after vacuum annealing at 600  °C. Two-dimensional XRD confirms the tetragonal structure and orientation of 7–20-nm thick films. The effect of the annealing process on the BTO structure is discussed. A clean STO/Si interface is found using in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and confirmed by cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy. The capacitance-voltage characteristics of 7–20 nm-thick BTO films are examined and show an effective dielectric constant of ∼660 for the heterostructure

  6. Observation of Sinusoidal Voltage Behaviour in Silver Doped YBCO

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altinkok, Atilgan; Olutas, Murat; Kilic, Kivilcim; Kilic, Atilla

    The influence of bi-directional square wave (BSW) current was investigated on the evolution of the V - t curves at different periods (P) , temperatures and external magnetic fields. It was observed that slow transport relaxation measurements result in regular sinusoidal voltage oscillations which were discussed mainly in terms of the dynamic competition between pinning and depinning.The symmetry in the voltage oscillations was attributed to the elastic coupling between the flux lines and the pinning centers along grain boundaries and partly inside the grains. This case was also correlated to the equality between flux entry and exit along the YBCO/Ag sample during regular oscillations. It was shown that the voltage oscillations can be described well by an empirical expression V (t) sin(wt + φ) . We found that the phase angle φgenerally takes different values for the repetitive oscillations. Fast Fourier Transform analysis of the V - t oscillations showed that the oscillation period is comparable to that (PI) of the BSW current. This finding suggests a physical mechanism associated with charge density waves (CDWs), and, indeed, the weakly pinned flux line system in YBCO/Ag resembles the general behavior of CDWs. At certain values of PI, amplitude of BSW current, H and T, the YBCO/Ag sample behaves like a double-integrator, since it converts the BSW current to sinusoidal voltage oscillations in time.

  7. Superconducting (YBa2Cu3O7-δ) and manganite (La0.7Sr0.3MnO3) oxide thin film based devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mechin, Laurence

    2005-01-01

    This manuscript presents my research activity since my PhD thesis defended in 1993. I mainly worked on two types of oxides: YBCO et LSMO. I always kept in mind the development of devices as a whole, i.e. from the thin film to the device characterization. One part of my work has been devoted to the study of structural, electrical or magnetic properties of the thin films in order to optimize deposition conditions. Both YBCO and LSMO oxides present a perovskite structure and require similar deposition conditions (700 - 750 C in O 2 pressure). I used three deposition methods: pulsed laser deposition, on axis high pressure sputtering and RF off axis sputtering. (author)

  8. Molecular-beam epitaxial growth and ion-beam analysis systems for functional materials research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeshita, H.; Aoki, Y.; Yamamoto, S.; Naramoto, H.

    1992-01-01

    Experimental systems for molecular beam epitaxial growth and ion beam analysis have been designed and constructed for the research of inorganic functional materials such as thin films and superlattices. (author)

  9. Seed layer technique for high quality epitaxial manganite films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Graziosi

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available We introduce an innovative approach to the simultaneous control of growth mode and magnetotransport properties of manganite thin films, based on an easy-to-implement film/substrate interface engineering. The deposition of a manganite seed layer and the optimization of the substrate temperature allows a persistent bi-dimensional epitaxy and robust ferromagnetic properties at the same time. Structural measurements confirm that in such interface-engineered films, the optimal properties are related to improved epitaxy. A new growth scenario is envisaged, compatible with a shift from heteroepitaxy towards pseudo-homoepitaxy. Relevant growth parameters such as formation energy, roughening temperature, strain profile and chemical states are derived.

  10. Bi axially textured YBCO coated tape prepared using dynamic magnetic grain alignment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Genoud, Jean-Yves; Quinton, William

    1999-01-01

    A new magnetic grain alignment technique has been applied to produce bi axially aligned YBCO coated tapes. A bi axially aligned dispersion of orthorhombic Y 2 Ba 4 Cu 7 O 15 (Y-247) powder was settled on un textured silver substrates. The Y-247 tapes were then melt processed to achieve high critical current YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (Y-123) tapes with CuO as a secondary phase. The biaxial alignment is preserved after the densification process and a clear enhancement of J c relative to identically prepared un textured or uniaxially textured samples is obtained. Critical current densities of up to 5000 A cm -2 at 77 K in self-field and 1500 A cm -2 in 0.5 T magnetic field at 65 K were obtained in films from 20 to 40 μm thick. Problems were experienced in achieving fully densified thick films while retaining biaxial texture. The initial grain size distribution was found to have a major influence on the final microstructure. Provided significant improvements in J c can be obtained this method offers an alternative to coated tape processes based on epitaxial growth which has the advantage that it does not require textured substrates. The biaxial alignment technique described here intrinsically acts on the bulk material rather than at surfaces. This offers the possibility of texturing without thickness limitations. (author)

  11. Thin film YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} junctions with La{sub 2/3}Ca{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3} barrier

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hepting, Matthias; Stoehr, Andreas; Werner, Robert; Kleiner, Reinhold; Koelle, Dieter [Physikalisches Institut - Experimentalphysik II and Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena in LISAplus, Universitaet Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 14, 72076 Tuebingen (Germany)

    2012-07-01

    We report on the fabrication and electric transport properties of thin film YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} (YBCO) junctions with La{sub 2/3}Ca{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3} (LCMO) barrier. Heteroepitaxial YBCO/LCMO/YBCO multilayers were grown in-situ by pulsed laser deposition and subsequently patterned by photolithography and Ar ion milling to form rectangular junctions with typical area 5 {mu}m x 30 {mu}m. A self-alignment process was used for electrical contact via an Au wiring layer to the upper YBCO electrode, similarly as described. Samples were characterized at temperature T=4.2 K either in magnetically shielded environment or in in-plane magnetic fields B up to the Tesla range. We present and discuss current-voltage-characteristics and measurements of critical current vs B.

  12. Epitaxial growth of Ge-Sb-Te based phase change materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perumal, Karthick

    2013-07-30

    Ge-Sb-Te based phase change materials are considered as a prime candidate for optical and electrical data storage applications. With the application of an optical or electrical pulse, they can be reversibly switched between amorphous and crystalline state, thereby exhibiting large optical and electrical contrast between the two phases, which are then stored as information in the form of binary digits. Single crystalline growth is interesting from both the academic and industrial perspective, as ordered Ge-Sb-Te based metamaterials are known to exhibit switching at reduced energies. The present study deals with the epitaxial growth and analysis of Ge-Sb-Te based thin films. The first part of the thesis deals with the epitaxial growth of GeTe. Thin films of GeTe were grown on highly mismatched Si(111) and (001) substrates. On both the substrate orientations the film grows along [111] direction with an amorphous-to-crystalline transition observed during the initial stages of growth. The amorphous-to-crystalline transition was studied in-vivo using azimuthal reflection high-energy electron diffraction scans and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. In the second part of the thesis epitaxy and characterization of Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films are presented. The third part of the thesis deals with the epitaxy of ternary Ge-Sb-Te alloys. The composition of the films are shown to be highly dependent on growth temperatures and vary along the pseudobinary line from Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} to GeTe with increase in growth temperatures. A line-of-sight quadrupole mass spectrometer was used to reliably control the GeSbTe growth temperature. Growth was performed at different Ge, Sb, Te fluxes to study the compositional variation of the films. Incommensurate peaks are observed along the [111] direction by X-ray diffraction. The possibility of superstructural vacancy ordering along the [111] direction is discussed.

  13. Microstructure and property correlations in high-temperature superconductors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalyanaraman, Ramakrishnan

    1998-11-01

    The work in this dissertation is intended at developing high quality device gradefilms of the high temperature (high-Tsbc) superconductor, Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO), on MgO(001) substrates. Three approaches have been used to achieve the above goal, (i) The use of a SrTiOsb3 buffer layer, (ii) The use of Ag to enhance the growth of YBCO films and (iii) Investigation of the atomic structure-property correlations of low-angle grain boundaries in these films. Thin film heterostructures of YBCO/MgO and YBCO/SrTiOsb3/MgO were fabricated by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), using a 248 nm KrF excimer laser. Analysis of the structure and measurement of superconducting properties of the films were carried out to optimize the suitable conditions under each approach. The key findings were, (i) Single crystal-like SrTiOsb3 buffer layers can be grown and they give the highest JsbcYBCO films, (ii) An in-depth study of the role of Ag showed that it enhanced film growth of YBCO thereby improving its quality, and (iii) Low-angle boundaries in YBCO/MgO occur with two probable habit planes and the Jsbcs across them differ slightly. A systematic investigation of the crystalline quality of the SrTiOsb3 films deposited by PLD was performed as a function of oxygen partial pressure (pOsb2) and substrate temperature (Tsbc). The highest quality films were grown in the pOsb2 range of 0.1-1 mTorr at 750sp°C. The films had as-deposited x-ray diffraction rocking curve (omega) values of {˜}0.70sp° and Rutherford backscattering channeling yields (chisbmin) of 5% as compared to omega˜1.40sp° and chisbmin˜14% for the film deposited in 100 mTorr of pOsb2. The x-ray phi-scans showed epitaxial cube-on-cube alignment of the SrTiOsb3 films on MgO(001) substrates. Thermal annealing of the SrTiOsb3 films further improved the quality, and the 1 mTorr films gave omega{˜}0.13sp° and chisbmin˜2.0%. Transmission electron microscopy investigations (TEM) of these films showed that the defects in

  14. Normal-state transport parameters of epitaxial thin films of YBa2Cu3O/sub 7-//sub δ/

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stormer, H.L.; Levi, A.F.J.; Baldwin, K.W.; Anzlowar, M.; Boebinger, G.S.

    1988-01-01

    We report on a striking correlation in the electrical transport behavior of very high-quality (j/sub c/∼3.4 x 10 6 A/cm 2 at T = 77 K) epitaxial thin films of high-T/sub c/ Y-Ba-Cu-O in the normal state. With increasing superconducting performance, as characterized by the transition temperature, transition-temperature width, and critical current density, the resistivity rho, and the Hall coefficient R/sub H/, both assume remarkably simple temperature dependences rho = αT and R/sub H//sup -1/ = βT leading to a Hall mobility μ/sub H/proportionalT/sup -2/. The magnetoresistance at 10 T is less than Δrho/rho<10/sup -3/. We discuss an extreme two-carrier model to assess the T dependence of R/sub H/. .AE

  15. Morphology, structure, and electrical properties of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} thin films on tilted NdGaO{sub 3} substrates, deposited by DC-sputtering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mozhaev, Peter B. [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS, Moscow 125009 (Russian Federation)]. E-mail: pbmozh@nm.ru; Kotelyanskii, Iosif M. [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS, Moscow 125009 (Russian Federation); Luzanov, Valery A. [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS, Moscow 125009 (Russian Federation); Mozhaeva, Julia E. [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics RAS, Moscow 125009 (Russian Federation); Donchev, Todor [Institute of Electronics BAS, Sofia (Bulgaria); Mateev, Emil [Institute of Electronics BAS, Sofia (Bulgaria); Nurgaliev, Timur [Institute of Electronics BAS, Sofia (Bulgaria); Bdikin, Igor K. [Institute of Solid State Physics RAS, Chernogolovka, Moscow 142432 (Russian Federation); Department of Ceramic and Glass Engineering, CICECO, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193 (Portugal); Narymbetov, Bakhyt Zh. [Complex Institute of Natural Sciences UzAS, Nukus (Uzbekistan)

    2005-02-15

    Thin YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} (YBCO) films were deposited using DC-sputtering technique on NdGaO{sub 3} substrates, tilted from (1 1 0) orientation by 0-26 deg . The structure and surface quality of the substrates were carefully characterized to obtain reliable results of thin films deposition. Structural, morphological and electrical properties of the YBCO thin films show three different ranges of inclination angle: vicinal, intermediate and high. In the vicinal range the properties of the film are generally the same as of the standard films deposited on (1 1 0) NdGaO{sub 3} substrate. An increase of the inclination angle to the intermediate range results in a significant improvement of morphology and structural quality of the film. Best electrical parameters are measured for the films of the intermediate range also. Probable reason for such behavior is simultaneous and regular seeding of the film in the joints of facets on the substrate surface. Further increase of inclination angle leads to step bunching and oxygen out-diffusion, destroying both structural and electrical perfection of the tilted-axes YBCO film.

  16. State of the art and prospective of large scale applications of YBCO thick films grown on metallic substrates; Possibilita` applicative a larga scala dei film spessi di YBCO su substrati metallici: Stato dell`arte e prospettive

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boffa, Vincenzo [ENEA, Centro Ricerche Frascati, Rome (Italy). Dipt. Energia

    1997-09-01

    In the framework of the high temperature superconducting materials, YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} (YBCO) shows very interesting intrinsic superconducting transport properties at temperature higher than the liquid nitrogen temperature. These properties are very important in large scale applications: transport of energy, magnets, transformers, etc. Unfortunately the potential of this material cannot be achieved today, since it is very difficult to manufacture YBCO based tapes or cables. In the last years several groups have tried to overcome the problems with new fabrication techniques. In the present report the state of the art and the prospective in the field of YBCO film fabrication on metallic substrates are presented.

  17. Upper-critical fields of YBa2Cu3O7-δ epitaxial thin films with variable oxygen deficiency δ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, E.C.; Christen, D.K.; Thompson, J.R.; Ossandon, J.G.; Feenstra, R.; Phillips, J.M.; Siegal, M.P.

    1994-01-01

    Fluctuation analysis in the limit of high magnetic fields was performed on three epitaxial thin films of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ for various oxygen deficiencies δ c2 (T) slope of -1.7 T/K for H parallel c, consistent with previous observations of transport and magnetic properties. Moreover, the 3D scaling showed better convergence than the 2D scaling, which gave relatively low values of H c2 . In contrast, the transitions were not adequately described by either scaling for T c off the 90-K plateau; it is speculated that this is due to an extrinsic broadening of the transitions, possibly due to the lack of a complete percolation path of the ortho-I phase (δ=0)

  18. On the dielectric and optical properties of surface-anchored metal-organic frameworks: A study on epitaxially grown thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redel, Engelbert; Wang, Zhengbang; Walheim, Stefan; Liu, Jinxuan; Gliemann, Hartmut; Wöll, Christof

    2013-08-01

    We determine the optical constants of two highly porous, crystalline metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Since it is problematic to determine the optical constants for the standard powder modification of these porous solids, we instead use surface-anchored metal-organic frameworks (SURMOFs). These MOF thin films are grown using liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) on modified silicon substrates. The produced SURMOF thin films exhibit good optical properties; these porous coatings are smooth as well as crack-free, they do not scatter visible light, and they have a homogenous interference color over the entire sample. Therefore, spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) can be used in a straightforward fashion to determine the corresponding SURMOF optical properties. After careful removal of the solvent molecules used in the fabrication process as well as the residual water adsorbed in the voids of this highly porous solid, we determine an optical constant of n = 1.39 at a wavelength of 750 nm for HKUST-1 (stands for Hong Kong University of Science and Technology-1; and was first discovered there) or [Cu3(BTC)2]. After exposing these SURMOF thin films to moisture/EtOH atmosphere, the refractive index (n) increases to n = 1.55-1.6. This dependence of the optical properties on water/EtOH adsorption demonstrates the potential of such SURMOF materials for optical sensing.

  19. Optical investigation of atomic steps in ultra-thin InGaAs/InP quantum wells grown by vapor levitation epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morais, P.C.

    1988-09-01

    Ultra-thin InGaAs/InP single-quantum-well structures, grown by chloride transport vapor levitation epitaxy, have been investigated by low temperature photoluminescence (PL). Well resolved peaks are observed in the PL spectra which we attribute to monolayer (a/2=2.93 A) variations in quantum well (QW) thickness. Separate peak positions for QW thicknesses corresponding to 2-6 monolayers have been determined, providing an unambiguous thickness calibration for spectral shifts due to quantum confinement. The PL peak corresponding to two monolayers occurs at 1.314 eV corresponding to an energy shift of 524 meV. Experimental data agree very well with a simple effective-mass theory. (author) [pt

  20. Jc enhancement by La-Al-O doping in Y-Ba-Cu-O films both in self-field and under magnetic field

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Yan; Suo, Hong-Li; Yue, Zhao

    2016-01-01

    a good epitaxial growth relationship with LAO. Compared with a pure YBCO film, the Jc value of a 5.0% LAO-doped sample is enhanced more than three times in self-field 77 K and seven times at 77 K and 1.5 T, respectively. These results indicate that LAO doping can effectively enhance the Jc of YBCO films...... toward YBCO. A series of YBCO films with different LAO doping contents was fabricated on LAO single-crystal substrates by metal organic deposition. We observed by X-ray diffractometer measurements and scanning electron microscopy observations that although a large amount of LAO is added, YBCO still keeps...

  1. Iron-YBCO heterostructures and their application for trapped field superconducting motor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Granados, X; Bartolome, E; Obradors, X; Tornes, M; Rodrigues, L; Gawalek, W; McCulloch, M; Hughes, D Dew; Campbell, A; Coombs, T; Ausloos, M; Cloots, R

    2006-01-01

    In this work we report on the magnetic behavior of the heterostructures formed by bulk based YBCO rings and ferromagnetic yoke. The magnetization cycle has been performed by an In-Field Hall Mapping technique. A video-like recording of the magnetization process makes it possible to obtain the magnetization of selected areas. The current flowing through the superconducting rings can be deduced from the magnetic field maps. The displacement of the peak of magnetization due to the flux reversal produced by the magnetization of the yoke is also considered. These hybrid heterostructures formed by ferromagnetic and superconducting material have been applied in the construction of the rotor for a brushless AC motor. The design and construction of this machine was carried out within the framework of the TMR Network SUPERMACHINES. The rotor has been designed in a quadrupolar configuration by cutting large YBCO 'window frames' from seeded melt-textured single domain YBCO pellets. This rotor has been coupled to a conventional stator of copper coils wound on an iron armature. The stator can be excited both in bipolar or quadrupolar mode. We report on the behaviour of the motor after a field cooling process when excited in quadrupolar mode

  2. Chemical characterization of melt-textured YBCO produced by hybrid powder metallurgy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    To, P.-C.; Meen, James K.

    2008-01-01

    Monolithic YBCO samples were made by traditional top-seeded melt-texturing processes from cold-milled mixtures of Y123 (YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ ) and elemental Y. The bulk composition does not lie on the Y211 (Y 2 BaCuO 5 )-Y123 join so, formation of Y123 from liquid and Y211 is not an essentially isothermal process on cooling. The reaction liquid + Y211 = Y123 is a ternary reaction and occurs over several tens of degrees. The Y123 thus produced has a range in compositions - particularly in Cu:(Y + Ba) - which may reflect crystallization over the thermal interval. The liquid migrates to an invariant point at which CuO also crystallizes with complete loss of liquid. The presence of trains of CuO grains in the YBCO indicates the locations of the last liquids to be preserved in the sample. These trains are dominantly in an annulus 1-3 mm from the edge of the 20-mm diameter sample. Mapping the compositional variation in Y123 may allow mapping the path of crystallization of these monolithic YBCO samples

  3. Chemical characterization of melt-textured YBCO produced by hybrid powder metallurgy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    To, P.-C. [Texas Center for Superconductivity and Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Street, Houston, TX 77035 (United States); Meen, James K. [Texas Center for Superconductivity and Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Street, Houston, TX 77035 (United States)], E-mail: jmeen@uh.edu

    2008-06-15

    Monolithic YBCO samples were made by traditional top-seeded melt-texturing processes from cold-milled mixtures of Y123 (YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}}) and elemental Y. The bulk composition does not lie on the Y211 (Y{sub 2}BaCuO{sub 5})-Y123 join so, formation of Y123 from liquid and Y211 is not an essentially isothermal process on cooling. The reaction liquid + Y211 = Y123 is a ternary reaction and occurs over several tens of degrees. The Y123 thus produced has a range in compositions - particularly in Cu:(Y + Ba) - which may reflect crystallization over the thermal interval. The liquid migrates to an invariant point at which CuO also crystallizes with complete loss of liquid. The presence of trains of CuO grains in the YBCO indicates the locations of the last liquids to be preserved in the sample. These trains are dominantly in an annulus 1-3 mm from the edge of the 20-mm diameter sample. Mapping the compositional variation in Y123 may allow mapping the path of crystallization of these monolithic YBCO samples.

  4. The growth and characterisation of YBa2Cu3O7-δ superconducting thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCurry, M.P.

    1999-02-01

    The normal state properties of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO) are not completely understood. It is known that the oxygen doping play a large part in determining these properties. The optical conductivity of a series of c-axis YBCO thin films was investigated in this thesis. The films were grown on (100) MgO substrates using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) system and characterised using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and resistance-temperature measurements. The optimum parameters for c-axis YBCO thin film growth were determined by systematically varying the main deposition parameters. The best quality films had a transition temperature T c ∼ 88K, with a transition width ∼ 1-2K. Critical current densities of J c ∼ 10 7 Acm -2 were obtained. Substrate and target morphology affected the quality of the films. a-axis YBCO films were grown using a PrBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (PBCO) film as a template for growth. The choice of target and substrate were again important, with a smooth substrate essential for the multi-layering. T c ∼ 83K and J c ∼ 10 6 Acm -2 were the best values obtained. These values compare with data published on the 'best' YBCO films deposited by PLD. A series of c-axis films was controllably under-doped using an ex-situ annealing process. The as-grown films were assumed to be optimally doped with δ ∼ 0.05. Doping levels in the 'metallic' region, 0.05 -2 mbar. Another tetragonal film was obtained by cooling it after deposition in a nitrogen atmosphere. Neither had a superconducting transition; the c-axes of both films were elongated. The films could be successfully re-doped with oxygen, with a subsequent return to optimal values of T c and c-axis lattice parameter. The dielectric function of optimally doped and under-doped c-axis YBCO films was determined using the attenuated total reflection (ATR) technique. This data was obtained at a fixed frequency of 2984 cm -1 , (0.366eV), at temperatures ranging from 300K to 80K. The data was analysed in

  5. Adsorption-controlled growth of BiMnO3 films by molecular-beam epitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, J. H.; Ke, X.; Misra, R.; Schiffer, P.; Ihlefeld, J. F.; Mei, Z. G.; Liu, Z. K.; Xu, X. S.; Musfeldt, J. L.; Heeg, T.; Schlom, D. G.; Roeckerath, M.; Schubert, J.

    2010-01-01

    We have developed the means to grow BiMnO 3 thin films with unparalleled structural perfection by reactive molecular-beam epitaxy and determined its band gap. Film growth occurs in an adsorption-controlled growth regime. Within this growth window bounded by oxygen pressure and substrate temperature at a fixed bismuth overpressure, single-phase films of the metastable perovskite BiMnO 3 may be grown by epitaxial stabilization. X-ray diffraction reveals phase-pure and epitaxial films with ω rocking curve full width at half maximum values as narrow as 11 arc sec (0.003 deg. ). Optical absorption measurements reveal that BiMnO 3 has a direct band gap of 1.1±0.1 eV.

  6. Strain induced ferromagnetism and large magnetoresistance of epitaxial La1.5Sr0.5CoMnO6 thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krishna Murthy, J.; Jyotsna, G.; N, Nileena; Anil Kumar, P. S.

    2017-08-01

    In this study, the structural, magnetic, and magneto-transport properties of La1.5Sr0.5CoMnO6 (LSCMO) thin films deposited on a SrTiO3 (001) substrate were investigated. A normal θ/2θ x-ray diffraction, rocking curve, ϕ-scan, and reciprocal space mapping data showed that prepared LSCMO thin films are single phase and highly strained with epitaxial nature. Temperature vs. magnetization of LSCMO films exhibits strain-induced ferromagnetic ordering with TC ˜ 165 K. In contrast to the bulk samples, there was no exchange bias and canted type antiferromagnetic and spin glass behavior in films having thickness (t) ≤ 26 nm. Temperature dependent resistivity data were explained using Schnakenberg's model and the polaron hopping conduction process. The slope change in resistivity and magnetoresistance maximum (˜65%) around TC indicates the existence of a weak double exchange mechanism between the mixed valence states of transition metal ions. Suppression of spin dependent scattering with the magnetic field is attributed for the large negative magnetoresistance in LSCMO films.

  7. FLUX PINNING EFFECTS IN Ag-DOPED YBCO (123 SUPERCONDUCTOR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Madelen Pérez

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Polycrystalline samples of Ag+-doped YBCO (123 (YBa2 (Cu1-xAgx3O7-δwith 0≤x≤0.3 were produced by solid state reaction method. The Ag- doped YBCO samples showed higher critical current densities (Jc with a Jc maximum for samples doped with x=0.05. This behavior can be assigned to an increase of pinning forces. The irreversibility temperature (Tirr, also increased in doped samples as a function of Ag content, with the highest temperature for the sample doped with x=0.05, wich correlates well with the observed Jc increasing. However, samples doped with x>0.05 displayed a decreasing of electrical properties (less Tirr, less Jc, etc. atributed to an excess of Ag in the grain boundaries which, reduces the grain sizes and increases the number of weak- links.

  8. Epitaxially Grown Films of Standing and Lying Pentacene Molecules on Cu(110) Surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Here, it is shown that pentacene thin films (30 nm) with distinctively different crystallographic structures and molecular orientations can be grown under essentially identical growth conditions in UHV on clean Cu(110) surfaces. By X-ray diffraction, we show that the epitaxially oriented pentacene films crystallize either in the “thin film” phase with standing molecules or in the “single crystal” structure with molecules lying with their long axes parallel to the substrate. The morphology of the samples observed by atomic force microscopy shows an epitaxial alignment of pentacene crystallites, which corroborates the molecular orientation observed by X-ray diffraction pole figures. Low energy electron diffraction measurements reveal that these dissimilar growth behaviors are induced by subtle differences in the monolayer structures formed by slightly different preparation procedures. PMID:21479111

  9. Contamination of YBCO bulk superconductors by samarium and ytterbium

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Volochová, D.; Jurek, Karel; Radušovská, M.; Piovarči, S.; Antal, V.; Kováč, J.; Jirsa, Miloš; Diko, P.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 496, JAN (2014), s. 14-17 ISSN 0921-4534 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : YBCO bulk superconductors * critical temperature * critical current density * peak effect Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 0.942, year: 2014

  10. Frequency and Temperature Dependent Dielectric Properties of Free-standing Strontium Titanate Thin Films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalberth, Mark J.; Stauber, Renaud E.; Anderson, Britt; Price, John C.; Rogers, Charles T.

    1998-03-01

    We will report on the frequency and temperature dependence of the complex dielectric function of free-standing strontium titanate (STO) films. STO is an incipient ferroelectric with electric-field tunable dielectric properties of utility in microwave electronics. The films are grown epitaxially via pulsed laser deposition on a variety of substrates, including lanthanum aluminate (LAO), neodymium gallate (NGO), and STO. An initial film of yttrium barium cuprate (YBCO) is grown on the substrate, followed by deposition of the STO layer. Following deposition, the sacrificial YBCO layer is chemically etched away in dilute nitric acid, leaving the substrate and a released, free-standing STO film. Coplanar capacitor structures fabricated on the released films allow us to measure the dielectric response. We observe a peak dielectric function in excess of 5000 at 35K, change in dielectric constant of over a factor of 8 for 10Volt/micron electric fields, and temperature dependence above 50K that is very similar to bulk material. The dielectric loss shows two peaks, each with a thermally activated behavior, apparently arising from two types of polar defects. We will discuss the correlation between dielectric properties, growth conditions, and strain in the free-standing STO films.

  11. Coherent, atomically thin transition-metal dichalcogenide superlattices with engineered strain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Saien; Tu, Lijie; Han, Yimo; Huang, Lujie; Kang, Kibum; Lao, Ka Un; Poddar, Preeti; Park, Chibeom; Muller, David A.; DiStasio, Robert A.; Park, Jiwoong

    2018-03-01

    Epitaxy forms the basis of modern electronics and optoelectronics. We report coherent atomically thin superlattices in which different transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers—despite large lattice mismatches—are repeated and laterally integrated without dislocations within the monolayer plane. Grown by an omnidirectional epitaxy, these superlattices display fully matched lattice constants across heterointerfaces while maintaining an isotropic lattice structure and triangular symmetry. This strong epitaxial strain is precisely engineered via the nanoscale supercell dimensions, thereby enabling broad tuning of the optical properties and producing photoluminescence peak shifts as large as 250 millielectron volts. We present theoretical models to explain this coherent growth and the energetic interplay governing the ripple formation in these strained monolayers. Such coherent superlattices provide building blocks with targeted functionalities at the atomically thin limit.

  12. Effect of Au nano-particles doping on polycrystalline YBCO high temperature superconductor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dadras, Sedigheh, E-mail: dadras@alzahra.ac.ir; Gharehgazloo, Zahra

    2016-07-01

    In this research, we prepared different Au nanoparticles (0.1–2 wt%) doped YBCO high temperature superconductor samples by sol-gel method. To characterize the samples, we used X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. Results show the formation of orthorhombic phase of superconductivity for all prepared samples. We observed that by adding Au nanoparticles, the grains' size of the samples reduces from 76 nm to 47 nm as well. The critical current density (J{sub c}) and transition temperature (T{sub c}) were determined using current versus voltage (I–V) and resistivity versus temperature (ρ-T) measurements, respectively. We found that by increasing Au nanoparticles in the compound, in comparison to the pure YBCO sample, the transition temperature, pinning energy and critical current density will increase. Also, the highest J{sub c} is for 1 wt% Au doped YBCO compound that its critical current density is about 8 times more than the J{sub c} of pure one in 0.7 T magnetic field.

  13. Effect of BaZrO3/Ag hybrid doping to the microstructure and performance of fluorine-free MOD method derived YBa2Cu3O7−x superconducting thin films

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tang, Xiao; Yue, Zhao; Wu, W.

    2015-01-01

    It is known that BaZrO3 and Ag can improve the magnetic and transport performance of YBCO thin film through totally disparate ways. BaZrO3 plays the role of flux pinning centers and Ag improves the transparency of the YBCO grain boundaries. However, similar research is rare on the fluorine-free d...

  14. New method for introducing nanometer flux pinning centers into single domain YBCO bulk superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, W.M.; Wang, Miao

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Single domain YBCO bulks with Bi 2 O 3 additions fabricated by TSIG process. • Nanoscale Y 2 Ba 4 CuBiOx(YBi2411) particles introduced by Bi 2 O 3 additions. • The YBi2411 particles are about 150 nm, can act as effective flux pinning centers. • The optimal addition of Bi 2 O 3 is 0.7wt% to achieve higher levitation force. • The result is helpful to improve the quality of REBCO bulk superconductors. -- Abstract: Single domain YBCO superconductors with different additions of Bi 2 O 3 have been fabricated by top seeded infiltration and growth process (TSIG). The effect of Bi 2 O 3 additions on the growth morphology, microstructure and levitation force of the YBCO bulk superconductor has been investigated. The results indicate that single domain YBCO superconductors can be fabricated with the additions of Bi 2 O 3 less than 2 wt%; Bi 2 O 3 can be reacted with Y 2 BaCuO 5 and liquid phase and finally form Y 2 Ba 4 CuBiO x (YBi2411) nanoscale particles; the size of the YBi2411 particles is about 100 nm, which can act as effective flux pinning centers. It is also found that the levitation force of single domain YBCO bulks is increasing from 13 N to 34 N and decreasing to 11 N with the increasing of Bi 2 O 3 addition from 0.1 wt% to 0.7 wt% and 2 wt%. This result is helpful for us to improve the physical properties of REBCO bulk superconductors

  15. Magnetic and electrical properties of epitaxial GeMn

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahlers, Stefan

    2009-01-15

    In this work, GeMn magnetic semiconductors will be investigated. The fabrication of GeMn thin films with Mn contents up to 11.7% was realised with molecular beam epitaxy. At a fabrication temperature of 60 C, the suppression of Mn{sub x}Ge{sub y} phases could reproducibly be obtained. Dislocation free epitaxy of diamond-lattice type GeMn thin films was observed. In all fabrication conditions where Mn{sub x}Ge{sub y} suppression was feasible, an inhomogeneous dispersion of Mn was observed in form of a self-assembly of nanometre sized, Mn rich regions in a Ge rich matrix. Each Mn rich region exhibits ferromagnetic coupling with high Curie temperatures exceeding, in part, room temperature. The local ferromagnetic ordering leads to the formation of large, spatially separated magnetic moments, which induce a superparamagnetic behaviour of the GeMn thin films. At low temperatures {<=} 20 K, remanent behaviour was found to emerge. X-ray absorption experiments revealed a similarity of the Mn incorporation in diamond-lattice type GeMn thin films and in the hexagonal lattice of the intermetallic Mn{sub 5}Ge{sub 3} phase, respectively. These tetrahedra represent building blocks of the Mn{sub 5}Ge{sub 3} unit cell. The incorporation of Mn{sub 5}Ge{sub 3} building blocks was found to be accompanied by local structural disorder. The electrical properties of GeMn thin films were addressed by transport measurements. It was shown that by using a n-type Ge substrate, a pn energy barrier between epilayers and substrate to suppress parallel substrate conduction paths can be introduced. With the pn barrier concept, first results on the magnetotransport behaviour of GeMn thin films were obtained. GeMn was found to be p-type, but of high resistivity. a series of GeMn thin films was fabricated, where intermetallic Mn{sub x}Ge{sub y} phase separation was supported in a controlled manner. Phase separation was found to result in the formation of partially coherent, nanometre sized Mn{sub 5

  16. Epitaxial La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 thin films with unconventional magnetic and electric properties near the Curie temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Signorini, L.; Riva, M.; Cantoni, M.; Bertacco, R.; Ciccacci, F.

    2006-01-01

    We used Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) in oxidizing environment to epitaxially grow optimally doped manganite La 2/3 Sr 1/3 MnO 3 (LSMO) thin films over a (001) oriented SrTiO 3 substrate. Synthesized samples show good room temperature magnetic properties accompanied by a peculiar extension of the metallic conduction regime to temperatures higher than the Curie point. In this paper we present a study of the dependence of transport and magnetic properties of LSMO thin films on the oxygen pressure during PLD growth. We show how interaction of the growing films with O 2 molecules is fundamental for a correct synthesis and in which way it is possible to adjust PLD experimental parameters in order to tune LSMO thin film properties. The persistence of the metallic conduction regime above the Curie temperature indicates some minor changes of the electronic structure near the Fermi level, which is responsible for the half-metallic behavior of LSMO at low temperature. This feature is rather intriguing from the technological point of view, as it could pave the way to the increase of operating temperature of devices based on LSMO

  17. Surface resistances of 5-cm-diameter YBCO films prepared by MOD for microwave applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manabe, T.; Sohma, M.; Yamaguchi, I.; Tsukada, K.; Kondo, W.; Kamiya, K.; Tsuchiya, T.; Mizuta, S.; Kumagai, T.

    2006-01-01

    Large-area high-T c superconducting films with low surface resistances R s are required for use in microwave applications such as band pass filters. In this paper, preparation of 5-cm-diameter YBCO films on LaAlO 3 (LAO) and CeO 2 -buffered sapphire (CbS) substrates by metalorganic deposition (MOD) using a fluorine-free coating solution and their superconducting properties are described. The optimum firing conditions for YBCO films greatly depend on the substrate materials; a heating rate at ramp as high as 200 deg. C /min is necessary for films on LAO whereas a lower heating rate, e.g., 20 deg. C /min, is required for films on CbS. Accordingly, the suitable furnace systems for these substrates have been varied. As a result, a YBCO film with high J c (77 K) of 2.7 MA/cm 2 and a low R s (12 GHz, 77 K) of 0.54 mΩ was prepared on LAO by using an infrared image furnace. On the other hand, a YBCO film with a higher J c (77 K) of 4.0 MA/cm 2 and the same R s (12 GHz, 77 K) of 0.54 mΩ was prepared on CbS by using a tube furnace

  18. YBa2Cu3O7-x thin films prepared by chemical solution deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Apetrii, Claudia

    2009-01-01

    The discovery of superconductivity in ceramic materials by Bednorz and Mueller in early 1987, immediately followed by Wu et al., who showed that YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) becomes superconducting (92 K) well above the boiling point of nitrogen (77 K) created a great excitement in superconductivity research. Potential applications of high T c -superconductors require large critical currents and high-applied magnetic fields. Effective ways to increase the critical current density at high magnetic fields in YBCO are the introduction of nanoparticles and chemical substitution of yttrium by other rare earth elements. Since low costs and environmental compatibility are essential conditions for the preparation of long length YBCO films, the cost effective chemical solution deposition (CSD) procedure was selected, given that no vacuum technology is required. To reveal the flexibility and the good optimization possibilities of the CSD approach two main processes were chosen for comparison: a fluorine-free method, namely the polymer-metal precursor technique, and a fluorine-based method, the metalorganic deposition (MOD) using the trifluoroacetates (TFA) technique. Sharp transition temperature widths ΔT c of 1.1 K for the polymer metal method, 0.8 K for TFA method and critical current densities J c of ∼3.5 MA/cm 2 shows that high quality YBCO thin films can be produced using both techniques. Especially interesting is the magnetic field dependence of the critical current density J c (B) of the Y(Dy)BCO (80 %) films showing that for the lower magnetic fields the critical current density J c (B) is higher for a standard YBCO film, but at fields higher than 4.5 T the critical current density J c (B) of Y(Dy)BCO is larger than that for the YBCO. Above 8 T, J c (B) of the Y(Dy)BCO film is more than one order of magnitude higher than in pure YBCO film. (orig.)

  19. Ferroelectric and piezoelectric responses of (110) and (001)-oriented epitaxial Pb(Zr{sub 0.52}Ti{sub 0.48})O{sub 3} thin films on all-oxide layers buffered silicon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vu, Hien Thu [International Training Institute for Materials Science (ITIMS), Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No.1 Dai Co Viet Road, Hanoi 10000 (Viet Nam); Nguyen, Minh Duc, E-mail: minh.nguyen@itims.edu.vn [International Training Institute for Materials Science (ITIMS), Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No.1 Dai Co Viet Road, Hanoi 10000 (Viet Nam); Inorganic Materials Science (IMS), MESA + Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); SolMateS B.V., Drienerlolaan 5, Building 6, 7522 NB Enschede (Netherlands); Houwman, Evert; Boota, Muhammad [Inorganic Materials Science (IMS), MESA + Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Dekkers, Matthijn [SolMateS B.V., Drienerlolaan 5, Building 6, 7522 NB Enschede (Netherlands); Vu, Hung Ngoc [International Training Institute for Materials Science (ITIMS), Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No.1 Dai Co Viet Road, Hanoi 10000 (Viet Nam); Rijnders, Guus [Inorganic Materials Science (IMS), MESA + Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands)

    2015-12-15

    Graphical abstract: The cross sections show a very dense structure in the (001)-oriented films (c,d), while an open columnar growth structure is observed in the case of the (110)-oriented films (a,b). The (110)-oriented PZT films show a significantly larger longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d33{sub ,f}), but smaller transverse piezoelectric coefficient (d31{sub ,f}) than the (001) oriented films. - Highlights: • We fabricate all-oxide, epitaxial piezoelectric PZT thin films on Si. • The orientation of the films can be controlled by changing the buffer layer stack. • The coherence of the in-plane orientation of the grains and grain boundaries affects the ferroelectric properties. • Good cycling stability of the ferroelectric properties of (001)-oriented PZT thin films. The (110)-oriented PZT thin films show a larger d33{sub ,f} but smaller d31{sub ,f} than the (001)-oriented films. - Abstract: Epitaxial ferroelectric Pb(Zr{sub 0.52}Ti{sub 0.48})O{sub 3} (PZT) thin films were fabricated on silicon substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Depending on the buffer layers and perovskite oxide electrodes, epitaxial films with different orientations were grown. (110)-oriented PZT/SrRuO{sub 3} (and PZT/LaNiO{sub 3}) films were obtained on YSZ-buffered Si substrates, while (001)-oriented PZT/SrRuO{sub 3} (and PZT/LaNiO{sub 3}) were fabricated with an extra CeO{sub 2} buffer layer (CeO{sub 2}/YSZ/Si). There is no effect of the electrode material on the properties of the films. The initial remnant polarizations in the (001)-oriented films are higher than those of (110)-oriented films, but it increases to the value of the (001) films upon cycling. The longitudinal piezoelectric d33{sub ,f} coefficients of the (110) films are larger than those of the (001) films, whereas the transverse piezoelectric d31{sub ,f} coefficients in the (110)-films are less than those in the (001)-oriented films. The difference is ascribed to the lower density (connectivity between

  20. SmBa2NbO6 Nanopowders, an Effective Percolation Network Medium for YBCO Superconductors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Vidya

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The percolation behavior of superconductor-insulator composite, YBa2Cu3O7–δ, and nano SmBa2NbO2 synthesized by modified combustion technique was studied. Particle size of nano SmBa2NBO6 was determined using transmission electron microscopy. The chemical nonreactivity of nano SmBa2NbO6 with YBCO is evident from the X-Ray diffraction study which makes it a suitable nanoceramic substrate material for high temperature superconducting films. A systematic increase in the sintered density, approaching the optimum value of the insulating nanophase is clearly observed, as the vol.% of YBCO in the composite decreases. SEM micrograph showed uniform distribution of nanopowder among the large clusters of YBCO. The obtained percolation threshold is ~26 vol% of YBCO in the composite. All the composites below the threshold value showed TC(0~92 K even though the room resistivity increases with increase in vol.% of nano SmBa2NbO6. The values of critical exponents obtained matches well with the theoretically expected ones for an ideal superconductor-insulator system.