• Proceedings of the Korea Institute of Applied Superconductivity and Cryogenics Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.27-29
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• 2003

Solution-based MOD-TFA deposition technology of YBCO layers offers a route to low-cost YBCO coated conductors. Since the structures and properties of grown thin film by MOD process are strongly influenced by chemistry of precursor solution, the chemical modification of precursor solution for MOD process are important for improvement of the electrical properties of YBCO films. In this study, the precursor solution for MOD process are modified by chemical additives and solvents. The microstructure and texture of YBCO films grown by chemically modified precursor solution were characterized with SEM/EDS, XRD.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.22-26
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• 2006

Total Fluorine content in the precursor solution for MOD processing of YBCO coated conductors can be significantly reduced by synthesizing precursor solution with F-free Y & Cu precursor and Barium trifluoroacetate(TFA). It was shown that crack-free and uniform precursor films were formed after calcinations in humidified oxygen atmosphere. Less than 2 hours are required to finish the calcination process, and XRD measurement shows that $BaF_2,\;CuO,\;and\;Y_2O_3$ are major constituent of calcined precursor films. Film thickness after calcination was measured to be ${\sim}2.8$ um by applying slot-die coating method. In particular, addition of Samarium shows critical current of Ic=226 A/cm-w($Jc=3.4\;MA/cm^2$). Also discussed are recent developments in the reel-to-reel processing using F-free Y & Cu precursor solutions. It is shown that uniform and fast processing route to YBCO coated conductor with high Ic can be provided by employing F-free Y & Cu precursor solutions in MOD process.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.5-8
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• 2005

Superconducting YBCO films were successfully fabricated by MOD process using F-free Cu precursor solution. In this study. a chemically modified precursor solution for MOD Processing was synthesized using metal-organic salts and F-free Cu precursor. It was shown that crack-free and uniform precursor films were formed after calcination in humidified oxygen atmosphere. Less than 3 hours are required to finish the calcination process. XRD measurement shows that $BaF_2,\;CuO,\;Y_2O_3$ are major constituent of precursor films. Furthermore. YBCO films without any secondary phases were successfully fabricated after annealing in wet $Ar/O_2$ prepared on a $LaA1O_3$ single crystal substrate $(10mm{\times}10mm)$ gives transport Ic of 10A at 77K. This chemical modification approach is a possible candidate for improving MOD-processing of YBCO coated conductor.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.152-157
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• 2006

New precursor solution with dichloroacetic acid (DCA) was developed for fabricating high $J_c$ REBCO film. DCA based-precursor solution was coated on $LaAlO_3$(001) substrate by dip coating method. Processing parameters such as oxygen partial pressure, water vapor, ramping rate and pyrolysis temperature were controlled in order to obtain a good epitaxial film. The film with thickness of 0.5 micrometer was obtained by single coating and no crack was observed at calcined films. Oxygen partial pressure was controlled in the range of $100{\sim}1,000$ ppm and conversion heat treatment was carried out at the temperature range of $705-765^{\circ}C$. A critical transition temperature ($T_c$) of 90 K and a critical transport current density ($J_c$) of $>0.5\;MA/cm^2$ (77 K and self-field) were obtained for the GdBCO film. It is thought that fluorine-free MOD solution using DCA is promising precursor solution for fabricating high quality REBCO films.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2007

The total Fluorine content in the precursor solution for MOD processing of YBCO coated conductors can be significantly reduced by synthesizing precursor solution with F-free Y & Cu precursor and Barium trifluoroacetate(TFA). It was shown that crack-free and uniform precursor films were formed after calcinations in humidified oxygen atmosphere. Less than 2 hours are required to finish the calcinations process and XRD measurement shows that $BaF_2,\;CuO,\;Y_2O_3$ are major constituent of calcined precursor films. Film thickness after calcinations was improved to be 2.8um by applying slot-die coating method. In particular, addition of Samarium shows critical current of $I_c=273A/cm-w(J_c=3.8MA/cm^2)$. It is shown that uniform and fast processing route to YBCO coated conductor with high Ic can be provided by employing F-free Y & Cu precursor solution in MOD process.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.158-161
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• 2006

Superconducting YBCO films were successfully fabricated by MOD process using chemically modified precursor solution. In this study, a chemically modified precursor solution for MOD processing was synthesized using metal-organic salts and organic additives. It was shown that crack-free and uniform precursor films were formed after calcination in humidified Oxygen atmosphere. Less than 3 hours are required to finish the calcination process. XRD measurement shows that $BaF_2,\;CuO,\;Y_2O_3$ are major constituent of precursor films. Furthermore, YBCO films without any secondary phases were successfully fabricated after annealing in wet $Ar/O_2$ atmosphere. The YBCO film prepared on a $LaAlO_3$ single crystal substrate ($10mm{\times}10mm$) gives transport $I_c$ of 10A at 77K. This chemical modification approach is a possible candidate for improving MOD-processing of YBCO coated conductor.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.37-40
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• 2006

Oxide buffer layers for YBCO coated conductors were fabricated using MOD processing and development of microstructure and texture were investigated. A $CeO_2$ buffer layers were formed on RABiTS tape. Acetate-based precursor solution was employed to synthesize the precursor solution. Subsequently, the precursor solution was stabilized and modified with triethanolamine. $CeO_2$ precursor gel film was coated and annealed in $Ar/H_2$ atmosphere at high temperature. An annealed $CeO_2$ film shows mixed orientation with high (001) texturing. It was shown that (111) texture of $CeO_2$ layers were enhanced by multiple coating. This degradation was attributed to development of microcracks in the multiply coated $CeO_2$ films. Also discussed are the synthesis and the characterization of $La_2Zr_2O_7$ (LZO) buffer layers on RABiTS tape. A biaxially textured LZO buffer layer was fabricated with MOD processing method using metal alkoxide based precursor solution. It was shown that the LZO film were epitaxially grown on RABiTS tape and crack-free & uniform surface was obtained after annealing in $Ar/H_2$ atmosphere.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.15-18
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• 2006

A new precursor solution wilt low fluorine content was synthesized for MOD processing of coated conductors. In this study, the precursor solution for MOD processing was synthesized using F-free yttrium and copper precursor. It was shown that crack-free and uniform precursor films were formed after calcination in humidified oxygen atmosphere. Less than 2 hours were required to finish the calcination process. The relatively gradual weight loss during the calcination process is attributed to the feasibility of fast calcination profile. The calcined precursor film was converted to a YBCO film without any secondary phases after annealing in wet $Ar/O_2$ atmosphere. Fully converted film shows uniform microstructure and high critical current density. $(Jc=2.7MA/cm^2) $.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.23-25
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• 2003

Effect of chemically modified precursor solution on YBCO coated conductor prepared by MOD-TFA method was investigated. YBCO thin films were deposited on (l00)-oriented single crystalline LaAlO$_3$ substrates by conventional MOD-TFA process. The microstructures of YBCO thin films contain maze-like patterns. The origin of this microstructure was delineated by compositional inhomogeneity during the pyrolysis process and it was shown that addition of diethanolamine (DEA) improve the microstructure of grown YBCO films. In addition, it was demonstrated that the chemical modification of precursor solution makes no harmful effect on biaxial texture of YBCO thin films.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.14-17
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• 2007

The slot-die coating & calcination process was adopted to fabricate the long YBCO precursor films on the buffered metal tape for the $2^{nd}$ generation coated conductors. To obtain the smooth and crack-free surface of long YBCO precursor films, the parameters of slot-die coating and the process variables of calcination step must be optimized simultaneously in reel-to-reel method. Among the parameter of slot-die coating process, the viscosities of the precursor solution was controlled from 60cP to 200cP to obtain the thicker films from on single coating. The slot-die gap, the injection rate of precursor solution, the moving speed of buffered metal tape etc. are controlled lot the full coverage and smooth surface of YBCO precursor films. The slot-die coated films are moved through the tube furnace with predetermined heating profiles in humid oxygen ambient The YBCO precursor films was identifed with $Y_2O_3,\;BaF_2$, and CuO phase by XRD and consisted of fine grains of about 20nm size observed by FE-SEM. The YBCO films show the critical current density over $MA/cm^2$ using the precursor films formed by the continuous slot-die coating & calcination process.