YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ (YBCO) films were grown on CeO 2 -buffered r-cut sapphire (CbS) substrates using an off-axis dc magnetron sputtering method. Both as-grown and post-annealed CbS substrates were used for this purpose, with the post-annealed CbS prepared by annealing the as-grown CbS at 1000 • C for 1 h. The YBCO films on post-annealed CbS showed significantly improved surface morphology and structures than those on the as-grown CbS, with a peak-to-valley roughness of 3.2 nm and a full-width at half-maximum of (005) YBCO rocking curve of 0.47 • for a 300 nm thick YBCO. The surface resistance of the 300 nm thick YBCO film on post-annealed CbS appeared as small as about 110 µ at 60 K and about 230 µ at 77 K at about 8.6 GHz.

Li-doped NiO thin films were deposited on glass and c-axis (0001) sapphire single crystal substrates by radio frequency (RF)-niagnetron sputtering. The effects of the type of substrate, substrate temperature and atmosphere on the structural, electrical and optical properties of the NiO thin films were examined. The electrical conductivity of the NiO thin films depends on the type of substrate, substrate temperature and oxygen atmosphere. The electrical conductivity of the thin films on the glass and sapphire substrates was improved by the introduction of oxygen and decreased with increasing substrate temperature. The optical transmittance decreased with the introduction of oxygen and increased with increasing substrate temperature.

10 at% Li doped NiO thin films were prepared on glass and sapphire single crystal substrates by using pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) process. The effects of the substrate and the deposition temperature on the crystal structures, electrical, and optical properties of NiO thin films were studied by using XRD, 4 point probe, and UV-VIS spectrometer. The electrical conductivities and the optical properties of NiO thin films depend on the crystallinity of the thin films and substrate temperatures. The Li doped NiO thin film with electrical conductivity of 2.25 S/cm and optical transmittance of 80% was fabricated on the sapphire substrate when processing parameters were optimized.