Growth of High Tc Crystals

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the growth of the high Tc phase of BSCCO ( T c ∼100 K) and liquid phase epitaxial growth of the low Tc phase of BSCCO ( T c ∼80 K). It considers the construction of phase diagrams by in situ observation and their application to crystal growth of oxide superconductors. The composition and temperature ranges of the solution for the high Tc crystal growth are very narrow. The formation temperatures of the high Tc crystals are slightly different depending on the chemical compositions. The high Tc crystals are formed by reactions of the low Tc crystals with the liquid that formed in the partially melted region of calcined Bi–Sr–Ca–Cu–Pb–O. The chapter reports some results of the characterization and growth mechanisms of the Bi-based superconductors grown on three types of substrates by the LPE method using a KC1 flux. It also introduces how to determine the primary crystallization field by in situ observations of dissolution and crystallization over a wide composition range.