Issue 17, 2012

Aqueous CSD approach for the growth of novel, lattice-tuned LaxCe1−xOδ epitaxial layers

Abstract

Lanthanum–cerium oxide (LCO) films were deposited on Ni-5%W substrates by chemical solution deposition (CSD) from water-based precursors. LCO films containing different ratios of lanthanum and cerium ions (from CeO2 to La2Ce2O7) were prepared. The composition of the layers was optimized towards the formation of LCO buffer layers, lattice-matched with the superconducting YBa2Cu3Oy layer, useful for the development of coated conductors. Single, crack-free LCO layers with a thickness of up to 140 nm could be obtained in a single deposition step. The crystallinity and microstructure of these lattice-matched LCO layers were studied by X-ray diffraction techniques, RHEED and SEM. We find that only layers with thickness below 100 nm show a crystalline top surface although both thick and thin layers show good biaxial texture in XRD. On the most promising layers, AFM and (S)TEM were performed to further evaluate their morphology. The overall surface roughness varies between 3.9 and 7.5 nm, while the layers appear much more dense than the frequently used La2Zr2O7 (LZO) systems, showing much smaller nanovoids (1–2 nm) than the latter system. Their effective buffer layer action was studied using XPS. The thin LCO layers supported the growth of superconducting YBCO deposited using PLD methods.

Graphical abstract: Aqueous CSD approach for the growth of novel, lattice-tuned LaxCe1−xOδ epitaxial layers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Nov 2011
Accepted
22 Feb 2012
First published
19 Mar 2012

J. Mater. Chem., 2012,22, 8476-8483

Aqueous CSD approach for the growth of novel, lattice-tuned LaxCe1−xOδ epitaxial layers

V. Narayanan, P. Lommens, K. De Buysser, D. E. P. Vanpoucke, R. Huehne, L. Molina, G. Van Tendeloo, P. Van Der Voort and I. Van Driessche, J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 8476 DOI: 10.1039/C2JM15752G

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