Single-domain YBa2Cu3Oy thick films and fabrics prepared by an infiltration and growth process

An infiltration and growth process has been developed to produce single-domain YBa2Cu3Oy(123) as thick films on various substrates or as self-supporting fabrics. Commercially available Y2O3 cloths of square woven or satin woven structure were infiltrated with liquid phases from a suitable source containing barium cuprates and copper oxides and subsequently converted into Y2BaCuO5(211) and -123 phases by a series of distinct peritectic reactions. Depending on the final form of 123, the Y2O3 cloth was either clamped firmly at corners to produce a self-supporting 123 fabric or placed on a suitable substrate to result in a thick film coating of 123. The source material for the liquid phase being in the form of solid blocks was placed at corners of the cloth in the case of free-standing 123 fabrics. In case of the thick film configuration the liquid phase powder was spread on the surface of the Y2O3 cloth. A small c-axis-oriented MgO or Nd(123) seed was used to generate an oriented 123 domain in the infiltrated fabric. The solidification process was optimized to transform the entire Y2O3 fabric into a single-domain 123, The microstructure of the single domain was optimized in terms of 211 size and content for high J(c). A detailed description of the process, the growth mechanism, the resulting microstructures was given, and basic superconducting properties of the new form of 123 are briefly discussed.