High Jc YBa2Cu3O7-δ films via rapid, low pO2 pyrolysis

Abstract

In this investigation YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) films were fabricated via a metal acetate, trifluoroacetic acid based sol-gel route and spin-coat deposited on (100) LaAlO3 with a focus on maximizing Jc, while minimizing processing time. We demonstrate that the use of a low-pO2 atmosphere during the pyrolysis stage can lead to at least a tenfold reduction in pyrolysis time, compared to a 1 atm O2 ambient. High-quality YBCO films on LaAlO3, with Jc values up to 3 MA/cm2 at 77 K, can be routinely crystallized from these rapidly pyrolyzed films.