Low-temperature preparation of high <i>T</i> <i>c</i> superconducting thin films

Thin superconducting films of Y-Ba-Cu-O were prepared at 650 °C using the pulsed laser deposition technique. The as-deposited films were fully superconducting at low temperature (30 K). After annealing in oxygen at 450 °C for 3 h, the films exhibited superconductivity with zero resistance at temperatures as high as 83 K. Film-substrate interface reaction was minimal as revealed by Rutherford backscattering and Auger electron spectrometry. These films processed at such low temperatures are also found to have excellent planar surface morphology and high critical current density.