A new route to high-T c superconducting Bi–Sr–Ca–Cu–O thin films: Improved deposition efficiency and film morphology using ammonia–argon mixtures as the carrier gas

Highly oriented films of the high-Tc superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox have been prepared by a low-pressure organometallic chemical vapor deposition process using a mixture of ammonia and argon as the carrier gas together with Sr(dpm)2 (dpm-dipivaloylmethanate), Ca(dpm)2, Cu(acac)2 (acac-acetylacetonate), and triphenylbismuth as the organometallic precursors. By introducing ammonia into the carrier gas, a significant improvement in the volatility and thermal stability of both Sr(dpm)2 and Ca(dpm)2 is observed. Typical required source temperatures for Sr(dpm)2 and Ca(dpm)2 with the introduction of ammonia are about 40–50 °C lower than the source temperatures of the precursors without the introduction of ammonia. Enhancement of source volatility for Cu(acac)2 is also observed. After annealing at 865 °C in flowing oxygen, the films consist predominantly of the Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox phase and exhibit high preferential orientation of the crystallite c axes perpendicular to the substrate surface. Four-probe resistivity measurements indicate the onset of film superconductivity at ∼110 K and zero resistivity achieved at 74 K.