Fabrication of YBa₂Cu₃O₇ Superconducting Nanocomposite Film on Silicon Substrate

Fabrication of YBa2Cu3O7 nanocomposite films on silicon substrates is required for superconducting electromagnetic devices. Low-temperature deposition is effective in suppressing the chemical reaction between YBa2Cu3O7 and Si, while sufficient diffusion is required to form the well-defined nanocomposite structure. The fabrication of the YBa2Cu3O7 nanocomposite films on Si substrates should simultaneously satisfy these conflicting requirements. A YSZ (yttrium stabilized zirconia) buffer layer was epitaxially grown on Si substrates to suppress the chemical reaction. Then, the YBa2Cu3O7 + Ba2YbNbO6 films were fabricated on the YSZ/Si. The nanorods with diameters of 9–17 nm were elongated along the c-axis even at the low deposition temperature. The YBa2Cu3O7 + Ba2YbNbO6 nanocomposite film exhibited a critical temperature of 86.0 K, which is comparable to the critical temperature of 85.6 K in the pure film. The irreversibility temperature was slightly improved by the nanorods. Thus, we demonstrate the formation of nanorods in the YBa2Cu3O7 films on Si substrates without lowering the critical temperature. This opens the superconducting electromagnetic devices integrated with high-temperature superconductors and semiconductors.