As grown Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_y films by an off axis RF magnetron

Bi₂Sr₂Cu₂O_y (BSCCO) films were in intu grown by an off axis rf magnetron sputtering. The sputtering targets were stoichiometric Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈ compounds. The sputtering gas was a maximum of O₂ and Ar and the sputtering pressure varied from 50 - 100 mTorr. The films were grown at 570 - 600 °C. After growth the films were quickly cooled down to 300 K in 30 minutes. One found that the distance from the substrate to the target d is an important factor in affecting the deposition rate of the as grown BSCCO films. By reducing the distance d to 3 cm, we have achieved a deposition rate of about 1500 Å per hour in a sputtering power of 60 watts and sputtering pressure of 70 mtorr. With optinum growth conditions where the sustrate temperature was kept at 580 - 600 °C and the pressure was kept at 70 - 80 mTorr, superconducting BSCCO films with zero resistan at 75 - 85 K can be reproduced.