The effects of the post-annealing temperature on the growth mechanism of Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2O8+partial derivative thin films produced on MgO (100) single crystal substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD)

The effects of post-annealing temperature were investigated on Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2O8+partial derivative thin films deposited on MgO (100) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The structural and superconducting properties of the films have been determined by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), temperature dependent resistivity (R-T), and DC magnetization measurements. The films which were deposited at 600 degrees C were post-annealed in an atmosphere of a gas mixture of Ar (93%) and O-2 (7%), at temperature ranging between 800 and 880 degrees C. This resulted in films which exhibited a single phase of 2212 with a high crystallinity (FWHM approximate to 0.16 degrees) and texturing along the c-axis, perpendicular to the plane of the substrate. An optimum temperature of 860 degrees C was found for the post-annealing thermal treatment. The critical temperature, T-C, of the films was measured as 82 K and the critical current density, J(C), was calculated as 3 x 10(7) A/cm(2) for the film annealed at 860 degrees C. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.