Preparation of superconducting oxide films using a pre-oxygen nitrogen anneal

Claim 1

A method of making a superconducting metal oxide film on a substrate, said method comprising: depositing a thin film of a superconducting metal oxide precursor consisting .essentially of R, Ba, Cu, and O onto said substrate in a thickness between about 0.1 and 3 μm to form a film/substrate composite, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements and yttrium, which precursor film can be annealed in an oxygen atmosphere to yield a superconducting metal oxide film; then heating said film/substrate composite to a first temperature between about 400° and 950° C. in less than about 10 seconds; then maintaining said composite at said first temperature in an oxygen free nitrogen atmosphere between about 5 and then bringing said film/substrate composite to a second temperature between about 800° C. and 950° in an oxygen atmosphere in less than about 10 seconds; then maintaining said film/substrate composite at said temperature in the oxygen atmosphere for between about 5 and 30 seconds to anneal said film; and then cooling said film/substrate composite to less than 300° C. in less than about 3 minutes.

Claim 2

A method of making a superconducting metal oxide film on a substrate, said method comprising: depositing a thin film of a superconducting metal oxide precursor consisting .essentially of R, Ba, Cu, and O onto said substrate in a thickness between about 0.1 and 3 μm to form a film/substrate composite, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements and yttrium, which precursor film can be annealed in an oxygen atmosphere to yield a superconducting metal oxide film; then heating said film/substrate composite to a first temperature between about 400° and 950° C. in less than about 10 seconds; then maintaining said composite at said first temperature in an oxygen free nitrogen atmosphere between about 5 and then bringing said film/substrate composite to a second temperature between about 800° C. and 950° in an oxygen atmosphere in less than about 10 seconds; then maintaining said film/substrate composite at said temperature in the oxygen atmosphere for between about 5 and 30 seconds to anneal said film; and then cooling said film/substrate composite to less than 300° C. in less than about 3 minutes.

Claim 8

The method according to claim wherein said substrate is silicon and said film is annealed in said oxygen atmosphere for between about 8 and about 12 seconds.

Claim 12

A method of making a superconducting metal oxide film on a substrate selected from the group consisting of silicon and silicon dioxide, said method comprising: depositing a thin film of a superconducting metal oxide precursor consisting essentially of R, Ba, Cu, and O by a physical deposition technique onto said substrate in a thickness between about 0.1 and 3 mm to form a film/substrate composite, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements and yttrium, which precursor film can be annealed in an oxygen atmosphere to yield a superconducting metal oxide film; then heating said film/substrate composite to a first temperature between about 400° C. and 700° C. in less than about 10 seconds; then maintaining said film/substrate composite at said first temperature in an oxygen free nitrogen atmosphere for between about 15 and 60 seconds to anneal said film; then bringing said film/substrate composite to a second temperature between about 800° C. and 950° C. in less than about 10 seconds; then maintaining said film/substrate composite at said second temperature in the oxygen atmosphere for between about 5 and 25 seconds to further anneal said film; and then cooling said film/substrate composite to less than 300° C. in less than about 3 minutes.

Claim 13

A method of making a superconducting metal oxide film on a substrate selected from the group consisting of silicon and silicon dioxide, said method comprising: depositing a thin film of a superconducting metal oxide precursor consisting essentially of R, Ba, Cu, and O by a physical deposition technique onto said substrate in a thickness between about 0.1 and 3 mm to form a film/substrate composite, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements and yttrium, which precursor film can be annealed in an oxygen atmosphere to yield a superconducting metal oxide film; then heating said film/substrate composite to a first temperature between about 400° C. and 700° C. in less than about 10 seconds; then maintaining said film/substrate composite at said first temperature in an oxygen free nitrogen atmosphere for between about 15 and 60 seconds to anneal said film; then bringing said film/substrate composite to a second temperature between about 800° C. and 950° C. in less than about 10 seconds; then maintaining said film/substrate composite at said second temperature in the oxygen atmosphere for between about 5 and 25 seconds to further anneal said film; and then cooling said film/substrate composite to less than 300° C. in less than about 3 minutes.