Facile and Cost-Effective Synthesis and Deposition of a YBCO Superconductor on Copper Substrates by High-Energy Ball Milling

The article investigates the synthesis and deposition of YBCO on a copper substrate for various functional purposes. The superconductor is first prepared by mechanically alloying elemental components (yttrium, barium, and copper) for 50 hours in a high-energy ball mill with subsequent protocol of heat treatment in an oxygen-rich atmosphere to arrive at stoichiometric ratios of YBa2Cu3O7. The material is then deposited on a thin copper substrate also by ball milling under various parameters of rotational speed and deposition time to select the best and most homogenous substrate coverage. Atomic force microscopy has confirmed the desired results, and other microstructural, thermal, and electrical techniques are used to characterize the obtained material. High-energy ball milling proved to be a versatile means to synthesize and deposit the material in a straightforward manner and controllable parameters for different deposit thicknesses and coverages.