AbstractHigh Tc superconducting thin films have been deposited on sapphire by means of RF‐sputtering from a single stoichiometric target of YBa2Cu3O7‐x composition. The YBa2Cu3O7‐x films were deposited in an argon‐oxygen atmosphere on a substrate which reached a temperature of s 400°C during deposition. The study of stoichiometry and homogeneity of the as‐deposited films, by means of electromicroprobe analysis (EMPA), was used to optimize the sputtering parameters of the system. To achieve superconductivity, with an onset of s 90 K, a high‐temperature, post‐deposition thermal treatment in oxygen was necessary. Resistivity measurements show that, with respect to the bulk samples, zero resistivity is lowered as a result of substrate interaction. The use of buffer layers can improve the quality of the superconducting thin films.
