Preparation of a-axis YBa2Cu3Ox epitaxial films using direct current-95 MHz hybrid plasma sputtering

1995 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 2216-2234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wataru Ito
Keyword(s):  
Substrate Surface ◽  
Tilt Boundary ◽  
Boundary Structure ◽  
Ion Density ◽  
Ybco Films ◽  
Plasma Sputtering ◽  
Grain Boundary Structure ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Hybrid Plasma ◽  
Symmetrical Tilt

The dc-95 MHz hybrid plasma magnetron sputtering has been newly developed for obtaining a-axis oriented YBa2Cu3Ox (YBCO) films with an excellent crystallinity. The crystallinity was found to be the best among the films reported so far: the full width at half maximum value of 0.027°in the rocking curve measurement through the film (200) diffraction peak and Xmin of 2% estimated from the barium signal behind the surface peak in Rutherford backscattering (RBS) measurement using a 1 MeV He+ ion. The success in the excellent crystallinity was explained from the ion acceleration model at the ion sheath formed near the substrate surface considering the high ion density, which was revealed to be a characteristic of hybrid plasma. Almost perfect epitaxial growth was also confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. A characteristic grain boundary structure depending on the substrate was observed for the films on NdGaO3 and SrTiO3 substrates. Twist boundary is dominant for the film on NdGaO3, while symmetrical tilt boundary and basal-plane-faced tilt boundary exclusively exist for the film on SrTiO3. The microstructure of the film on SrTiO3 is very resistive against film relaxation. Strain relief was observed by RBS channeling spectra for the relatively high superconducting films. The results of Raman spectroscopy and RBS oxygen resonant measurements indicated that the oxygen content is not a critical parameter for determining the superconductivity of the a-axis oriented YBCO films, but oxygen ordering in the plane of the Cu-O chain and relief of the film strain are important for the improvement of Tc.

Microstructures of a-axis oriented YBCO films made by hybrid plasma sputtering

1995 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 803-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Ito ◽  
A. Oishi ◽  
S. Mahajan ◽  
Y. Yoshida ◽  
T. Morishita
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Grain Boundary ◽  
Anisotropic Growth ◽  
Plan View ◽  
Plasma Sputtering ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Hybrid Plasma ◽  
Tilt Boundaries ◽  
Symmetrical Tilt ◽  
Twist Boundaries

Microstructures of a-axis oriented YBa2Cu3O7−x films made by newly developed de 100 MHz hybrid plasma sputtering were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The films deposited on (110) NdGaO3 and (100) SrTiO3 substrates were found to grow in a perfect epitaxial fashion and with clear interface. The plan view of the TEM image showed that both films were comprised of two kinds of grains having the c axis aligning along two perpendicular directions in the plane with equal probability. The structures of the grain boundary, however, were found to be very different for the two films from the plan views. The film on NdGaO3 showed a lot of twist boundaries, while the film on SrTiO3 consisted of many symmetrical tilt boundaries and basal-plane-faced tilt boundaries. The type of grain boundary is determined by the anisotropic growth rates of the film between c direction and a-b direction.

Optical emission spectroscopic studies on the growth of YBCO thin films by dc-94.92 MHz hybrid plasma sputtering

1994 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1082-1088 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Ito ◽  
S. Mahajan ◽  
S. Okayama ◽  
Y. Yoshida ◽  
T. Morishita
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Substrate Surface ◽  
Optical Emission ◽  
Target Surface ◽  
Spectroscopic Studies ◽  
Ion Density ◽  
Plasma Sputtering ◽  
Ybco Thin Films ◽  
Hybrid Plasma ◽  
Cathode Current

Optical emission spectroscopic studies of dc-94.92 MHz hybrid plasma generated in the newly developed magnetron sputtering system were performed during the growth of YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) thin films. All the detectable species showed uniform spatial distribution along the radial direction of the target more than 8 mm above the target surface. High cathode current conditions in the hybrid plasma were found to make the plasma with high ion density. The high ionizing efficiency was concluded to be essential in obtaining an excellent crystalline film. This result is explained by the ion acceleration mechanism through the ion sheath formed near the substrate surface. Oxygen gas introduced into the growing chamber during deposition was found to be responsible for the oxidation of the target surface.

Electron Microscopy Study of Stoichiometric and Non-Stoichiometric Titania

1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (S2) ◽  
pp. 669-670
Author(s):  
Solórzano I.G. ◽  
Kotani T. ◽  
Tuller H.L. ◽  
Van der Sande J.B.
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Electric Activity ◽  
Microscopy Study ◽  
Electron Microscopy Study ◽  
Boundary Structure ◽  
High Tc Superconductors ◽  
High Tc ◽  
Grain Boundary Structure ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Crystallographic Shear

It is currently well recognized that oxides are able to accommodate deviations from stoichiometry (1) and great advances in this understanding have been achieved by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), particularly through lattice imaging and electron diffraction techniques (2). The physical properties of non-stoichiometric oxides are strongly influenced by their exact composition and for this reason they represent a class of materials with increasing and novel properties that are put to use in, for example, oxygen sensors and high-Tc superconductors. On the other hand, in electroceramic materials, such as TiO2, grain boundary structure and chemistry are important to be characterized in detail since these variables are responsible for the electric activity.Rutile (TiO2) can accommodate relatively large deviations from stoichiometry (TiOx with 2.0≥x≤ 1.75) by the crystallographic shear (CS) mechanism (1). The formation of CS planes is effectively a two-step process which involves the ordering of oxygen vacancies on a crystallographic plane and on their elimination by a shear of the lattice.

Observations and implications of grain boundary dislocation networks in high-angle YBa2Cu3O7−δ grain boundaries

1990 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 919-928 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Babcock ◽  
D. C. Larbalestier
Keyword(s):  
Grain Boundary ◽  
Grain Boundaries ◽  
Weak Link ◽  
Coincidence Site Lattice ◽  
Boundary Structure ◽  
High Angle ◽  
Grain Boundary Structure ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Means Of Transmission ◽  
Regular Networks

Regular networks of localized grain boundary dislocations (GBDs) have been imaged by means of transmission electron microscopy in three different types of high-angle grain boundaries in YBa2Cu3O7-δ, implying that these boundaries possess ordered structures upon which a significant periodic strain field is superimposed. The occurrence of these GBD networks is shown to be consistent with the GBD/Structural Unit and Coincidence Site Lattice (CSL)/Near CSL descriptions for grain boundary structure. Thus, these dislocations appear to be intrinsic features of the boundary structure. The spacing of the observed GBDs ranged from ∼10 nm to ∼100 nm. These GBDs make the grain boundaries heterogeneous on a scale that approaches the coherence length and may contribute to their weak-link character by producing the “superconducting micro-bridge” microstructure which has been suggested on the basis of detailed electromagnetic measurements on similar samples.

Investigation of Grain Boundary Structure and Composition of Bismuth Embrittled Copper Bicrystals with Aberration-Corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (S2) ◽  
pp. 346-347
Author(s):  
C. Wade ◽  
M. McLean ◽  
R. Vinci ◽  
M. Watanabe ◽  
L. Giannuzzi
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Grain Boundary ◽  
Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Boundary Structure ◽  
Scanning Transmission Electron ◽  
Grain Boundary Structure ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Scanning Transmission ◽  
Aberration Corrected

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, July 29 – August 2, 2012.

Brittle Grain Boundary Fracture in Iridium

1977 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 294-295
Author(s):  
D. L. Rohr ◽  
S. S. Hecker ◽  
L. E. Murr
Keyword(s):  
Grain Boundary ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Boundary Structure ◽  
Grain Boundary Structure ◽  
Thin Foils ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Grain Boundary Fracture ◽  
Space Nuclear Power ◽  
Boundary Fracture ◽  
Brittle Intergranular Fracture

Iridium is a most interesting fee metal with a high melting point (2443°C) and extremely high elastic moduli (Young's modulus of 76 million psi). Single crystals of Ir fail by brittle cleavage and polycrystalline Ir fails by brittle intergranular fracture at temperatures below 1000°C. We have previously shown that both modes of fracture are intrinsic and not impurity related. (1)The present study was undertaken to study the grain boundary structure of Ir by transmission electron microscopy. Sheet specimens of Ir-0.3%W (used in space nuclear power applications) were recrystallized at temperatures above 1300°C. Thin foils were prepared by spark planing and electropolishing with an acidified CaCl2 solution in a jet polisher and were examined in a JEOL 200 B electron microscope operated at 200 kv.We examined a large number of foils and found the most interesting grain boundary features to be ledges (2) (Fig. la).

TEM Studies of Grain Boundary Structure in a Cast Polycrystalline Silicon

2005 ◽  
Vol 475-479 ◽  
pp. 1673-1676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isamu Kuchiwaki ◽  
Takahiro Hirabayashi ◽  
Hiroshi Fukushima
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Grain Boundary ◽  
Twin Boundary ◽  
Polycrystalline Silicon ◽  
High Resolution Electron Microscopy ◽  
Boundary Structure ◽  
Grain Boundary Structure ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Resolution Electron ◽  
The Difference

Cast polycrystalline silicon for solar cell contains mostly straight twin boundaries which are thought to have little effect on the electrical activity. There are, however, some complicated grain boundaries in it. One of these boundaries consists of slightly curved and straight parts. The structure of this boundary was analyzed to investigate the difference of these two types of boundaries. The conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) found that this slightly curved boundary was the zigzag shaped boundary made by (11 _ ,2) and ( _ ,211) planes. High resolution electron microscopy (HREM) confirmed that (11 _ ,2) plane was the boundary of {112} Σ3 twin boundary which formed a straight grain boundary at the other end of the analyzed grain boundary, and also confirmed that ( _ ,2 11) plane was also the boundary of {112} Σ3 twin boundary which intersected with the former twin boundary at an angle of 120 [deg].

Effect of Sintering Additive Composition on Grain Boundary Structure in Liquid-Phase-Sintered Silicon Carbide

2007 ◽  
Vol 558-559 ◽  
pp. 897-902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Wook Kim ◽  
Je Hun Lee ◽  
Doh Yeon Kim
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Phase ◽  
Grain Boundary ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Boundary Structure ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Sintering Additive ◽  
Sic Ceramics ◽  
Grain Boundary Structure ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Sintered Silicon

Both the presence and absence of an amorphous intergranular film (IGF) between the SiC grains have previously been reported in liquid-phase-sintered SiC ceramics (LPS-SiC). The dominant factor(s) responsible for the grain boundary structure in LPS-SiC has not been clearly revealed. In the present study, LPS-SiC ceramics containing different compositions of sintering additives were fabricated and characterized with respect to their grain boundary structure, using both scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The results suggest that the sintering additive composition plays a dominant role in the evolution of grain boundary structure in LPS-SiC.

Superconductivity of epitaxially grown α-axis YBCO films on SrTiO3 substrate

1994 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1625-1632 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Ito ◽  
S. Mahajan ◽  
Y. Yoshida ◽  
N. Watanabe ◽  
T. Morishita
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Content ◽  
Raman Spectra ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Superconducting Film ◽  
Ybco Films ◽  
Srtio3 Substrate ◽  
Plasma Sputtering ◽  
Hybrid Plasma ◽  
Different Temperatures

The a-axis oriented YBa2Cu3Ox (YBCO) films were epitaxially grown on (100) SrTiO3 substrate by dc-100 MHz hybrid plasma sputtering. The films prepared at different temperatures with and without in situ annealing had different superconductivity, which was improved with the degradation of the crystallinity of the films. The Raman spectra for the films were very similar to each other and to that expected for YBa2Cu3O7, in spite of the different superconductivity. This indicates the importance of the symmetry of the Cu–O chains rather than the oxygen content for the superconductivity. In Rutherford backscattering measurements using a 3.05 MeV He2+ ion beam, an increase of dechanneling due to the barium atoms along the film depth was clearly observed only for the most improved superconducting film. This result suggests that the relief of the strain contained in the film is also important for improving the superconductivity in the case of a-axis oriented YBCO films.

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