Simplified Procedure for Estimating Epitaxy of -Buffered NiW RABITS Using XRD

• Published in: IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity 2009-06, Vol.19 (3), p.3307-3310
• Main Authors: Rikel, M.O., Isfort, D., Klein, M., Ehrenberg, J., Bock, J., Specht, E.D., Sun-Wagener, M., Weber, O., Sporn, D., Engel, S., de Haas, O., Semerad, R., Schubert, M., Holzapfel, B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Density measurement; Ellipsometry; Epitaxial growth; Epitaxial layers; Measurement standards; Optical films; quality control; Reflectometry; Testing; Thickness measurement; x-ray measurements; X-ray scattering; Zirconium
• ISSN: 1051-8223; 1558-2515
• DOI: 10.1109/TASC.2009.2017907

A procedure is developed for assessing the epitaxy of La 2- x Zr 2+ x O 7 (LZO) layers on NiW RABITS. Comparing XRD patterns ( thetas -2thetas scans and 2D rocking curves) of LZO films of known thickness (ellipsometry or reflectometry measurements) with those of standard samples (100% epitaxial LZO film and an isotropic LZO pellet of known density), we estimate the epitaxial ( EF ), and polycrystalline ( PF ) fractions of LZO within the layer. The procedure was tested using MOD-LZO(100 nm)/NiW tape samples with EF varied from 3 to 90% (reproducibly prepared by varying the humidity of Ar - 5%H 2 gas during heat treatment). A qualitative agreement with RHEED and quantitative (within plusmn 10%) agreement with the EBSD results was shown. Correlation between EF and J c in 600 nm thick YBCO layer deposited on MOD-LZO/NiW using thermal coevaporation enables us to impose the EF = 80% margin on the quality of LZO layer for the particular conductor architecture.