As-deposited Y-Ba-Cu-O superconducting films on silicon at 400 °C

Y-Ba-Cu-O thin films have been grown on silicon at a substrate temperature of 400 °C by plasma-assisted laser deposition technique. These films were superconducting in an as-deposited state. Films deposited directly on silicon and films with a MgO buffer layer differed in their superconducting properties. Films with a MgO layer showed higher critical temperatures (70 K) and higher critical currents (3×103 A/cm2 at 31 K) than films deposited directly on Si. Depth profiling by Auger and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been employed to study the diffusion and structural variation near the interface.