Critical Current Density and Microstructure of Yba2Cu3O7-X Films as a Function of Film Thickness

Abstract

AbstractThin films of nominal composition YBa2Cu3O7‐x (YBCO) were produced on (100) SrTiO3 substrates by coevaporation and furnace annealing. Film thicknesses in the range of 0.2 to 2.4/μm were analyzed. Microstructural investigations by cross sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal a continuous layer of about 0.4 μm thickness adjacent to the substrate with c‐axis normal to the substrate plane. In thicker films the remaining top portion has the c‐axis in the film plane. The critical current density (J ) at 77 K decreases with increasing thickness in the thickness range exceeding 0.4 μm, qualitatively consistent with the microstructural observations, but quantitatively inconsistent with a simple model based on the microstructural data.