Transmission electron microscopy on interface engineered superconducting thin films
Year: 2003
Type: article
Abstract: Transmission electron microscopy is used to evaluate different deposition techniques, which optimize the microstructure and physical properties of superconducting thin films. High-resolution electron microscopy proves that the use of an YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 2/O/sub x/ buffer layer can avoid a variable interface configuration in YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// thin films grown on SrTiO/sub 3/. The growth can also be controlled at an atomic level by using sub-unit cell layer epitaxy, which results in films with high quality and few structural defects. Epitaxial strain in Sr/sub 0.85/La/sub 0.15/CuO/sub 2/ infinite layer thin films influences the critical temperature of these films, as well as the microstructure. Compressive stress is released by a modulated or a twinned microstructure, which eliminates superconductivity. On the other hand, also tensile strain seems to lower the critical temperature of the infinite layer.
Institutions: University of Antwerp, University of Twente
Language: English
Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2102996940