Microstructure of YBa2Cu3O7-x thin films deposited by dc sputtering

The microstructure of high-Tc YBa2Cu3O7-X thin films deposited by DC-sputtering on SrTiO3 substrates was analysed by TEM. Films were either (i) deposited in the amorphous state at substrate temperatures < 450°C and crystallised by a heat treatment at 900°C (process 1) or (ii) deposited at around 740°C in the crystalline state (process 2). Cross sections were prepared for TEM analyses and are especially useful for studying film substrate interdiffusion (fig.1). Films deposited in process 1 were polycristalline and the grain size was approximately 200 nm. Films were porous and the size of voids was approximately 100 nm. Between the SrTiO3 substrate and the YBa2Cu3Ox film a densly grown crystalline intermediate layer approximately 150 nm thick covered the SrTiO3 substrate. EDX microanalyses showed that the layer consisted of Sr, Ba and Ti, however, did not contain Y and Cu. Crystallites of the layer were carefully tilted in the microscope and diffraction patterns were obtained in five different poles for every crystallite. These patterns were consistent with the phase (Ba1-XSrx)2TiO4. The intermediate layer was most likely formed during the annealing at 900°C. Its formation can be understood as a diffusion of Ba from the amorphously deposited film into the substrate and diffusion of Sr from the substrate into the film. Between the intermediate layer and the surface of the film the film consisted of YBa2Cu3O7-x grains. Films prepared in process 1 had Tc(R=0) close to 90 K, however, critical currents were as low as jc = 104A/cm2 at 77 K.