Thermal analysis techniques are routinely applied to characterize the thermal behavior of metal organic precursors used for oxide film preparation. Since the mass of films is very low, researchers do their thermal analyses on powders and consider that the results are representative of films. We will show here that, in general, this assumption is not true. Several examples involving precursors of YBa2Cu3O7-x (Ba and Y trifluoroacetates and Ba propionate) will serve to appreciate that films can behave very differently than powders due to their enhanced heat and mass transport paths. Ultimately, we will demonstrate that, in some cases, relying on powders thermal analysis may lead to erroneous conclusions.

The morphological and microstructural evolution associated with an exsolution driven self-nanostructuration process of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 films, is investigated using scanning force microscopy, reciprocal space mapping and transmission electron microscopy. The focus is placed on the misfit strain relaxation mechanism. Surfaces with atomically flat terraces are already developed after 1hour at 1000 °C while first fingerprints of phase exsolution do not appear until 9-10 hours. X-ray diffraction reciprocal-space mapping reveals that 24 nm thick films remain strained during the whole microstructural evolution, while 12 hour annealed films undergo almost total plastic relaxation of the misfit strain at a thickness of 60 nm. Overall, these results point to a kinetic limitation of dislocation mechanisms. It is argued that chemical relaxation provides a significant contribution to misfit strain relief.

In this work, we report recent progress in the control of the interface quality between buffer layers and YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) thin films grown by the trifluoroacetates route (TFA) and how it influences the critical current Jc of the coated conductors (CCs). We have mainly focused on the two most used cap layers, i.e., CeO2 and SrTiO3. We show that for CeO2 buffer layers, the key for high-quality YBCO epitaxy is to obtain atomically flat (001) terraced CeO2 surfaces. CC YBCOTFA/CeO2sputt/YSZ/CeO2/Ni with Jc (77 K) ∼ 1 MA/cm2 and chemical CC YBCOTFA/CeO2MOD/y-stabilized zirconia and ion beam assisted deposition (YSZIBAD)/stainless steel (SS) with Jc (60 K)=2.3MA/cm2 were obtained. For metalorganic deposited (MOD) SrTiO3 the main issue is to reduce the overall surface roughness that tends to increase film porosity due to an enhanced {100} YBCO nucleation. Improved roughness can be achieved by growing the buffer layers at lower temperatures. An all-chemical CC, YBCOTFA/SrTiO3MOD/BaZrO3MOD/NiO–SOE/Ni, with promising in-plane texture, ΔϕYBCO = 6.6° was grown.

The evolution from a partially oriented granular microstructure to a dense epitaxial one in CeO2 buffer layers deposited by metallorganic decomposition (MOD) on single crystal Y-stabilised ZrO2 (YSZ) substrates, has been investigated. CeO2 buffer layers were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Reducing atmospheric conditions inhibit grain growth resulting in a nanometric granular microstructure with a high concentration of C impurities decorating grain boundaries and porosity. Oxidation and elimination of C species promotes grain growth resulting in a dense epitaxial film, as well as stabilizes otherwise energetically prohibitive polar (001) planes. Trifluoracetate (TFA) derived MOD YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) films deposited on optimized CeO2 buffers exhibit a sharp interface while the undesired reaction giving BaCeO3 is minimized. Jc values of 1.5 MA/cm2 and 14 MA/cm2 at 77K and 5K, respectively, are achieved.

In this work we will report our recent progress in the control of the interface quality between buffer layers and YBCO thin films grown by the trifluoroacetates route (TFA) and how it influences the critical current of the coated conductors. We have mainly focused on vacuum and metalorganic deposited (MOD) fluorite-like CeO2 buffer layers and on MOD perovskite SrTiO3 buffer layers. We will show that for vacuum CeO2 buffer layers, microcracks at the surface can be controlled by the means of thermal treatments. Coated conductors TFA-YBCO/CeO2sputt/YSZ/CeO2/Ni with Jc(77K)˜1MA/cm2 can be grown even in the presence of these microcracks. For MOD SrTiO3 we will show that growing the buffer layer at low temperature reduces surface roughness and multilayers with high critical currents can be achieved. An all-chemical coated conductor has been grown TFA-YBCO/SrTiO3MOD/BaZrO3MOD/NiO-SOE/Ni with promising in-plane texture, Δ φYBCO=6.6°. For MOD CeO2 buffer layers, thermal annealings in oxidizing atmospheres lead to atomically flat surfaces that avoid the typical polycrystalline surfaces observed in MOD CeO2 grown in Ar/H2. High Jc multilayers can be achieved and the first all chemical coated conductor in IBAD tapes TFA-YBCO/CeO2MOD/YSZIBAD/SS has been obtained with Jc(60K)=2.3MA/cm2.

In this work, we report on the observation of Nd1Ba6Cu3O10,5 (Nd163) phase of the NdBaCuO system in melt-textured Nd123 bulk samples grown from a mixture of Nd123 and Nd210 phase powders. The observation was performed with polarized light optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive x-ray analyses. Images of the identified phase crystals show an aspect quite different from Nd422 crystals. Unexpectedly, Nd163 was individuated, even in “pure” Nd123 samples. Moreover, after long exposure to air, Nd163 disappeared completely in samples synthesized from powders containing Nd210. Thermogravimetry analyses of powders show that the stability of this phase in air is limited to temperatures higher than 900 °C, so Nd163 is unstable and highly reactive at room temperature. Moreover, an explanation of the observation of Nd163 in Nd210 free samples, based on the spontaneous formation of Nd163 phase in a Nd123 melt, is proposed.

Melt textured YBa2Cu3O/Y2BaCuO5 were post processed by high oxygen pressure for different periods and temperatures. This process permits the control of the microstructure, in particular the growth and shape of the stacking faults and thereby the partial dislocation density. Analysis of the Jc(H,T) behavior allow to separate the contribution of Y2BaCuO5 interface from that of dislocations. It is shown that the in-plane partial dislocations act as point-like pinning centers increasing Jc up to 180% but this enhancement factor is counterbalanced by the effect of the stacking faults associated to the partial dislocations.

Melt textured YBCO samples with and without 211 inclusions were irradiated by fast neutrons. The enhancement of the critical current density was studied as a function of the 211 content by means of SQUID magnetometry at temperatures from 5 to 77 K and magnetic fields from 0 to 8 T. The highest enhancement factor, found at 77 K and 1.5 T for a 211-free sample, is 27. The enhancement is less effective for samples with 211 inclusions. However, the critical current densities after irradiation show a similar temperature and field dependence in all samples. The role of the initial microstructure on the radiation effects is discussed.

Two novel complementary and non-destructive techniques for texture analysis of YBCO coated conductors are presented. Micro-Raman (μ-Raman) spectroscopy enables an easy analysis of the film homogeneity by determining the distribution of a- and c-oriented grains within the tape with a 1 μm spatial resolution and acquisition times of 5 min/spot. In addition, synchrotron x-ray diffraction analysis in transmission geometry and 2D detectors enables, with acquisition times of 100 ms, simultaneous observation of a- and c- crystallites and in-plane textures of substrates, buffers and superconducting layer. Thus, opening the field of this technique to in-situ analysis of epitaxial growth of coated conductors prepared by ex-situ processes. Results from these two techniques for stainless steel tapes buffered with IBAD-YSZ and coated with PLD-YBCO are analyzed.