FORMATION OF SUPERCONDUCTING ER-BA-CU-O THIN-FILMS BY IONIZED CLUSTER BEAM APPARATUS

The crystallization and oxidation processes used to make ceramic superconducting films will have to be performed at temperatures lower than those currently used before superconducting devices can be produced economically for highly anticipated commercial applications. The ICB technique using three ionized cluster beams and ozone to form Er-Ba-Cu-O high-temperature superconducting thin films at a temperature below 650-degrees-C was studied. The as-grown film formed at a substrate temperature of 650-degrees-C and at an acceleration voltage of 300 V showed a T(c) of 90 K and J(c) of 1.2 x 10(6) A/cm2 at 77 K at a width of 17-mu-m and length of 20 mm. It is considered that nonthermal energy contributed by the ICB and ozone is important for film formation at this temperature. Furthermore, the as-grown film formed at a substrate temperature of 550-degrees-C showed a stronger c-axis orientation at an acceleration voltage of 1 kV compared with the case of 300 V. This result suggests that kinetic energy can be substituted for thermal energy and is more important for forming high quality thin films at temperatures as low as 550-degrees-C.