Progress in Superconductivity

The Korean Superconductivity Society (한국초전도학회)
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The Effect of Seed on Top-seeded Melt-growth (TSMG) Processing of a RE-123 Superconductor

  • O, Yong-Taeg (Department of Advanced Materials Engineering, Chosun University) ;
  • Sung, Tae-Hyun (Superconductivity & Applications Group at Korea Electric Power Research Institute (KEPRI)) ;
  • Jeong, Nyeon-Ho (Superconductivity & Applications Group at Korea Electric Power Research Institute (KEPRI)) ;
  • Kim, Chan-Joong (Nuclear nanomaterials development laboratory Korea Atomic Energy Research institute (KAERI)) ;
  • Shin, Dong-Chan (Department of Advanced Materials Engineering, Chosun University)
  • Published : 2007.10.31
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Abstract

This study investigated the effects of different kinds of seed crystals with miscut angles and pretreatment on the characteristics of a RE-123 superconductor processed by a top-seeded melt-growth (TSMG) method. When the seed crystal was heat-treated in an oxygen atmosphere, the surface structure was cleaned removing hydroxide. When the seed crystal had a miscut angle, in addition, the surface structure showed a well defined hill-and-valley structure after heat-treatment. A better microstructure, with a well-distributed small RE-123 phase, was obtained using a high miscut angle after heat-treatment in an oxygen atmosphere. As a result of the microstructure improvement, the magnetic characteristics also improved. The experimental result can be explained by reduction of nucleation activation energy.

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