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We used Ba–Cu–O substrates to fabricate bulk Nd–Ba–Cu–O superconductors using a top-seeded melt-growth method. There were several advantages for the use of Ba–Cu–O substrate compared to conventional substrate materials such as MgO, ZrO2, Al2O3, RE123 and RE211 (RE =  rare earth). The Ba–Cu–O did not react with the precursor and minimized liquid loss. Accordingly, the introduction of large-sized cracks was suppressed. We also found that Tc values were high at the bottom regions, which was ascribed to the beneficial effect of Ba–Cu–O in suppressing Nd/Ba substitution. As a result, we obtained bulk Nd–Ba–Cu–O superconductors that exhibited fairly good field-trapping capabilities, even at the bottom surfaces.

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