Texture of YBCO layer grown on GaN/c-sapphire substrates

• Published in: Applied surface science 2021-03, Vol.543, p.148718, Article 148718
• Main Authors: Dobročka, E., Španková, M., Sojková, M., Chromik, Š.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: GaN/sapphire substrates; Pulsed laser deposition; Texture analysis; X-ray diffraction; YBCO thin films
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.148718

[Display omitted] •Growth of YBCO thin films on GaN/c-sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition.•Comprehensive texture analysis of YBCO layer.•Texture components with YBCO planes {001}, {207} and {113} parallel to substrate were revealed.•MgO interlayer between GaN and YBCO suppresses the {207} and {113} texture components. YBCO thin films with epitaxial alignment were grown on (0001) oriented GaN/c-sapphire substrates using pulsed laser deposition. We performed a complete texture analysis and proposed a qualitative texture model explaining the measured X-ray pole figures of the YBCO films. The analysis revealed three texture components with the planes {001}, {113} and {207} parallel to the (0001) plane of the GaN surface. The six-fold symmetry of the GaN surface caused that all three texture components comprise six orientation variants. The orientation relationship of the variants with respect to the GaN/c-sapphire substrate was established. It was shown that thin MgO interlayer deposited on GaN/c-sapphire substrate before the growth of the YBCO layer can suppress the formation of the undesirable {113} and {207} texture components.