In-plane-aligned, c axis-oriented YBa, Cu, O, (YBCO) films with superconducting critical current densities J, as high as 700,000 amperes per square centimeter at 77 kelvin have been grown on thermomechanically rolled-textured nickel (001) tapes by pulsedlaser deposition. Epitaxial growth of oxide buffer layers directly on biaxially textured nickel, formed by recrystallization of cold-rolled pure nickel, made possible the growth of YBCO films 1.5 micrometers thick with superconducting properties that are comparable to those observed for epitaxial films on single-crystal oxide substrates. This result represents a viable approach for the production of long superconducting tapes for high-current, high-field applications at 77 kelvin.Since the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity (HTS) in cuprate materials, substantial efforts have focused on developing a high-current superconducting wire technology for applications at 77 K (1, 2). Early in these efforts it was observed that randomly oriented polycrystalline HTS materials have critical current densities, J,, (500 A/cm2. In contrast, oriented YBCO thin films grown epitaxially on single-crystal oxide substrates, such as SrTiO, (OOl), exhibit J, values >1 MA/cm2 at 77 K (3). This huge difference between randomly oriented HTS ceramics and single crystal-like epitaxial films is directly related to the misorientation angles at the grain boundaries in polycrystalline materials. Values for J, across a grain boundary decrease significantly as the misorientation angle increases, with weak-link behavior observed for misorientation angles at the grain boundaries greater than -10" (4-12). In order to achieve high J, values (-lo5 to lo6 A/cm2, 77 K), the crystallographic orientation of the HTS superconducting wire or tape must have a high degree of both in-plane and out-of-plane grain alignment over the conductor's entire length. Ideally, this would be achieved with YBCO, because the limits for dissipation-free current at 77 K in an applied magnetic field are most favorable for this material (1 3, 14).One approach to producing a high-J, HTS tape is to deposit a thick epitaxial film on a substrate material that has a high degree of in-plane and out-of-plane crystallographic texture and can be produced in long lengths. Epitaxial HTS films on singlecrystal oxides satisfy the requirements for high J,, but it is not feasible to produce long lengths of these substrates. Recent efforts have focused on the use of ion beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) to achieve inplane alignment of oxide buffer layers on polycrystalline metal substrates for subsequent epitaxial growth of . Indeed, a modest degree of in-plane texture for c axis-oriented YBCO films made by IBAD results in a significant increase in J,, with values ranging from lo5 to lo6 A/cm2 at 77 K. However, IBAD techniques have limitations, including the relatively low de~osition rates associated with the IBAD buffer layers as well as difficulties in consistently producing in-plane crystallographic alignment of less than lo0, tha...