Electrode-induced nonuniformities in the sweeping of alpha quartz

Infrared absorption and scanning electron microscopic techniques show that color-center and/or electrode-metal introduction into quartz is influenced by the porosity of evaporated metal electrodes. Thermal-stress relief of electrode-metal films, during sweeping, normally causes porosity. If the porosity is extensive, H introduction predominates and color-center and electrode-metal introduction mechanisms are suppressed. Samples swept with evaporated Au/Cr electrodes relying on thermal stress-induced porosity sometimes displayed these sweeping nonuniformities. Nonuniformities were not found when samples were swept using evaporated Au-Cr electrodes containing periodic stripe openings. Uniform sweeping was also obtained using magnetron-sputtered amorphous Y-Ba-Cu-O films.