Orientation transition in a thick laser deposited YBa2Cu3O7−x film observed by glancing angle X-ray diffraction

Abstract Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has been used to fabricate superconducting YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− x (YBCO) films on MgO substrates. A Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of 355 nm was used to grow 1 μm and 2 μm thick YBCO films. The relation of thickness and orientation in laser ablated films was systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrical property and the structural characteristics of YBCO films have been studied by R – T measurement and XRD. Glancing angle XRD pattern reveals the film orientation is changed from fully c -axis near the substrates/film interface to the mixture of a -axis and c -axis near the film surface. The intensity of the a -axis fraction is increased as going to near the film surface and as growing thicker films. We could get c -axis-oriented YBCO films by optimizing the film thickness and the deposition temperature.