High performance YBCO films by the hybrid of non-fluorine yttrium and copper salts with Ba-TFA

High performance YBCO films have been fabricated using a metallorganic deposition (MOD) approach consisting of a hybrid of Ba-trifluoroacetate (Ba-TFA) with non-fluorine containing Cu and Y solution precursors on rolling-assisted-biaxially-textured substrates (RABiTS). A high J(c) of 2.4 MA/cm(2) at 77 K for 0.6 mu m YBCO films on RABiTS corresponding to an I-c over 140 A/cm-w was obtained. T-c measurements showed sharp transitions with zero resistance above 90 K. Extrapolation of the normal state resistivity results in an intercept below zero at 0 K, indicating the absence of second phases at grain boundaries. This first report on obtaining high J(c) with significantly reduced fluorine in the precursor is important for scale-up to manufacturing since the volume of corrosive hydrofluoric gas (HF), which is a by-product of the conversion, is greatly reduced. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.