Crystalline Qualities and Critical Current Densities of As-Grown Ba2YCu3Ox Thin Films on Silicon with Buffer Layers

Abstract

As-grown Ba₂YCu₃O _x thin films (\lesssim100 nm) have been prepared by rf magnetron sputtering deposited on Si(100) with buffer layers of YSZ and Y₂O₃/YSZ. Epitaxial growth of Ba₂YCu₃O _x thin films is confirmed by ion channeling measurements along the (100) directions of the Si substrate showing a χ_min of 60% on YSZ/Si, and 6% on Y₂O₃/YSZ/Si using 2.0 MeV He⁺. The as-grown films have critical current densities of 10⁴ A/cm² on YSZ/Si and 10⁶ A/cm² on Y₂O₃/YSZ/Si at 77 K. Our results indicate that the superconducting properties of the films are limited primarily by the value of lattice mismatch between the Ba₂YCu₃O _x and buffer layers.