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Rotatable magnetron sputtering is still a promising technique for scaling up of large area deposition of high temperature superconducting thin films. Furthermore, it represents a standard equipment for very large area web coating and glass coating in industrial environment. We have already demonstrated that with rotatable magnetron sputtering epitaxial c-axis oriented NdBa2Cu3O7-x (NBCO) thin films could be obtained on MgO and YSZ single crystals and buffered tapes. The superconducting properties, like Tc and Jc, of these films are still reduced due to low pressure sputtering. The c-axis lattice parameter is expanded or the sputtered NBCO thin film exists of 2 phases, one with the correct c-axis parameter and the other phase shows an elongated c-axis parameter, which influences the superconducting properties. In this work we will investigate the properties of thin films, sputtered with a nonstoichiometric target at low pressure (classical sputter regime). Especially, the influence of the oxygen partial pressure is very important and will be studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of sputter deposition of YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) from rotatable targets is an important step in the realisation of a large scale deposition process for YBCO coated conductor. Rotatable magnetron sputter sources are standard equipment in large scale sputter industry and the power input in a rotatable magnetron can be much higher compared to a planar magnetron with the same race track area. This result in improved discharge characteristics and increased deposition speed. For this work a flame sprayed and a plasma sprayed cylindrical YBCO target was used to deposit YBCO thin films on single crystal MgO. c-Axis oriented YBCO thin films were obtained at lower pressure than is normally used for YBCO sputter deposition, resulting in a higher deposition speed. The influence of deposition parameters (such as sputter pressure, oxygen partial pressure, substrate temperature, etc.) on the properties of the YBCO layer was investigated and the possibilities for large scale deposition were explored. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]