Growth of RE123 Crystal From the NiO Saturated Solution by LPE Method

Abstract

We tried to apply NiO as a buffer layer for LPE (Liquid Phase Epitaxy) coated conductors. We confirmed the suppression effect to the reaction between NiO/Ni substrate and solution saturated with NiO. On the other hand, NiO addition to the solution was found to decrease the peritectic temperature of YBa₂Cu₃O_y (Y123) and increase the crystallization temperature of Ba-Cu-Ni-O compound. These phenomena made it difficult to grow Y123 crystals alone from the NiO saturated solution. We tried to grow Nd123 that has a higher peritectic temperature than Y123 on the MgO substrate, and confirmed that Nd123 could be grown stably from the NiO saturated solution. Because of low Tc value of the Nd123 crystals grown from the NiO saturated solution, we had to grow Y123 on it from the solution without NiO. The sample with this double LPE layer showed a Tc value of 90 K.