Effects of Oxygen-Potential-Controlled Annealing on the Superconducting Properties of (Bi, Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3Oy Thin Films

Abstract
The oxygen potential of thin films consisting of monophasic (Bi, Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O y was controlled by annealing them under various oxygen partial pressures. The T c of (Bi, Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O y was found to decrease monotonously with decreasing oxygen potential. However, T c did not change when annealed under higher oxygen pressure up to 2.9×104 torr. The carrier concentration was found to change with oxygen partial pressure, implying that oxygen supplies the carrier. An optimum range of the carrier concentration exists for attaining the highest T c. This finding is consistent with those of other high T c hole-type superconductors.