Metalorganic deposition of superconducting Yb-Ba-Cu-O thin films by rapid thermal annealing

Claim 1

A method for producing films of superconductor materials comprising the steps of: forming a solution from the neodecanoates of ytterbium, barium, and copper metals, said metals form an oxide mixture exhibiting superconductive properties, said solution comprises a solvent having at least approximately 10 volume percent pyridine in xylene; depositing a film of said solution onto a substrate, said substrate selected from the group consisting of strontium titanate, barium titanate, and sapphire; pyrolyzing said film in an oxygen-containing environment at a first temperature of approximately 500° C. for up to approximately 5 minutes, so as to thermally decompose said neodecanoates of ytterbium, barium and copper into a film containing oxides of ytterbium, barium and copper, said pyrolyzing occurring substantially immediately after said depositing step; and heating said oxide film at a second temperature ranging between about 850° C. and 1000° C. for a duration of up to approximately 2 minutes to promote grain growth of said metal oxides within said film and induce a change therein by which said film exhibits superconducting properties at a significantly increased temperature.

Claim 2

A method for producing films of superconductor materials comprising the steps of: forming a solution from the neodecanoates of ytterbium, barium, and copper metals, said metals form an oxide mixture exhibiting superconductive properties, said solution comprises a solvent having at least approximately 10 volume percent pyridine in xylene; depositing a film of said solution onto a substrate, said substrate selected from the group consisting of strontium titanate, barium titanate, and sapphire; pyrolyzing said film in an oxygen-containing environment at a first temperature of approximately 500° C. for up to approximately 5 minutes, so as to thermally decompose said neodecanoates of ytterbium, barium and copper into a film containing oxides of ytterbium, barium and copper, said pyrolyzing occurring substantially immediately after said depositing step; and heating said oxide film at a second temperature ranging between about 850° C. and 1000° C. for a duration of up to approximately 2 minutes to promote grain growth of said metal oxides within said film and induce a change therein by which said film exhibits superconducting properties at a significantly increased temperature.

Claim 3

A method for producing thin film superconductor materials comprising the steps of: forming a solution from the neodecanoates of ytterbium, barium, and copper metals, said metals form an oxide mixture exhibiting superconductive properties, said oxide mixture characterized by a ratio of approximately 1:2:4 for said ytterbium, barium and copper metals respectively, said solution comprises a solvent having at least approximately 10 volume percent pyridine in xylene; depositing a film of said solution onto a substrate, said substrate selected from the group consisting of strontium titanate, barium titanate, and sapphire; pyrolyzing said film in an oxygen-containing environment at a first temperature of about 500° C. for about 5 minutes, so as to decompose said neodecanoates of ytterbium, barium, and copper into a film containing oxides of ytterbium, barium, and copper, said pyrolyzing occurring substantially immediately after said depositing step; and heating said metal oxide film at a second temperature of about 920° C. for a duration of approximately 2 minutes to promote grain growth of said metal oxides within said film and induce a change therein by which said film exhibits superconducting properties at a significantly increased temperature.

Claim 4

A method for producing thin film superconductor materials comprising the steps of: forming a solution from the neodecanoates of ytterbium, barium, and copper metals, said metals form an oxide mixture exhibiting superconductive properties, said oxide mixture characterized by a ratio of approximately 1:2:4 for said ytterbium, barium and copper metals respectively, said solution comprises a solvent having at least approximately 10 volume percent pyridine in xylene; depositing a film of said solution onto a substrate, said substrate selected from the group consisting of strontium titanate, barium titanate, and sapphire; pyrolyzing said film in an oxygen-containing environment at a first temperature of about 500° C. for about 5 minutes, so as to decompose said neodecanoates of ytterbium, barium, and copper into a film containing oxides of ytterbium, barium, and copper, said pyrolyzing occurring substantially immediately after said depositing step; and heating said metal oxide film at a second temperature of about 920° C. for a duration of approximately 2 minutes to promote grain growth of said metal oxides within said film and induce a change therein by which said film exhibits superconducting properties at a significantly increased temperature.