Synthesis and properties of high-T c YBa2Cu3O7−y oriented thin films

Abstract
The a‐ and c‐axis‐oriented YBa2Cu3O7−y thin films were prepared by rf magnetron sputtering technique. The characterization of the thin films was carried out by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, x‐ray diffraction, and scanning Auger profile techniques. The Tc, Tc(H), Jc(H), and Hc2T(near Tc) were measured by the standard dc four‐probe method. It was found that very strong anisotropy of this material was manifested in its superconducting properties, especially for c‐axis‐oriented thin films. It was also found that Jc depends very strongly upon stoichiometric composition 123, preferential orientation of the film, and the characteristic of the film‐substrate interface.