YBCO superconducting thick films: electrophoretic deposition (EPD) on non-planar silver substrates

A new formulation of a stable YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) suspension is proposed in which butanol is preferred to the commonly-used acetone as the suspension medium. Appropriate surfactant has been used to develop the superficial charge on the YBCO particles in order to promote migration during the process of electrophoresis.
YBCO thick films were deposited on silver tubes and half-tubes by electrophoretic deposition (EPD). The EPD parameters (deposition voltage, deposition time, number of layers etc.) were optimized with respect to the microstructural properties of the YBCO layers after an intermediate heat treatment at 920°C. An essential criterion is the minimization of macrocracks after the 920°C heat treatment, since it was found to favour good superconducting properties after the final heat treatment. This final heat treatment involves (i) partial melting above the peritectic temperature, (ii) peritectic recombination at lower temperature and (iii) reoxygenation at 500°C. Finally, the superconducting properties of the best films are discussed. A uniformly coated 55μm-thick YBCO film on a curved Ag substrate showed excellent superconducting properties with the onset of critical temperature at 92.2 K and an associated sharp resistive transition with transition width < 1 K.