Y-BA-CU-O THIN-FILMS GROWN ON RIGID AND FLEXIBLE POLYCRYSTALLINE YTTRIA-STABILIZED ZIRCONIA BY PULSED LASER ABLATION

In situ growth of highly oriented YBa2Cu3O 7-x thin films (200-500 nm in thickness) has been obtained by pulsed KrF (248 nm) laser ablation on both rigid and flexible randomly oriented polycrystalline yttria-stabilized zirconia substrates. It is shown that c-axis-perpendicular YBa2Cu3O7-x films with a mosaic spread of only 1.0° can be grown on these randomly oriented polycrystalline substrates. Superconducting thin films were obtained with T c(R=0)∼89 K on well-polished substrates. For the films deposited on the flexible substrates, the superconducting Tc is not degraded by repeated bending of the flexible substrate/film composite over a 2.25-cm-radius arc although the normal-state resistivity increases slightly, suggesting the creation of microcracks. The YBa2Cu3O7-x films grown on rigid polycrystalline yttria-stabilized zirconia substrates have a critical current density Jc(H=0)∼1400 A/cm2 at 77 K.