YBCO superconducting tapes by melt-annealing method on metallic Ni%5W substrates

Superconducting tapes of YBCO-123 were produced by melt-annealing method on metallic Ni%5W substrates. YBCO thick films of about I pin thick were deposited on Ni%5W tapes previously CeO2 coated using different thermal treatments. A final architecture of the tapes like Ni%5W/CeO2/YBCO/Au-Pd was achieved. Critical temperature (T-c) of the superconducting tapes around 89 K and critical current densities (J(c)) of 10(4) A/cm(2) at 77 K and B = 0 T were determined by resistive methods. All the samples displayed a granular character and the crystalline structure of the superconducting YBCO-123 with and preferential orientation along the c-axis as determined by SEM and XRD analysis. respectively. Both grain sizes and c-axis orientation are dependent of the thermal treatments. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.