Biaxially textured MgO buffer layer on flexible metal template for coated conductor

A low-cost chemical solution deposition (CSD) planarization system has been designed and proposed for the Y2O3 seed layers in YB2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) coated conductors. In the CSD planarization system, amorphous Y2O3 films have been prepared on the surface of bare Hastelloy alloys. After the optimization of the CSD-Y2O3 process, the amorphous Y2O3 layer with surface root mean square roughness (RMS) of 1.5 nm has been obtained, serving as the seed layer for the subsequent ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) MgO layer. The biaxial texture in the IBAD-MgO layer has been developed during the nucleation stage and the best texture can be obtained with increasing thickness to 10 nm. Then the IBAD-MgO layer serves as the texturing template for the homo-epitaxial (epi) MgO layer and LaMnO3 (LMO) layer. The full width at half maximum in the rocking curve generated by omega-scans of (002) LMO out-of-plane orientation and phi-scans of (220) LMO in-plane orientation is 4.4-6.5 degrees, respectively. Finally, the YBCO functional layer deposited on the LMO layer exhibited a high self-field critical current density of 2.5MA/cm(2).

Automated summary

A low-cost chemical solution deposition planarization system was designed for Y2O3 seed layers in YBCO coated conductors. The system produced amorphous Y2O3 films on the surface of bare Hastelloy alloys with a surface roughness of 1.5 nm, which served as the seed layer for the subsequent deposition of MgO layers. The optimized thickness of the MgO layers resulted in the development of a biaxial texture. The YBCO functional layer deposited on the LMO layer exhibited a high self-field critical current density of 2.5MA/cm(2).