Developing a trilayer processing technique for superconducting Y Ba₂Cu₃O_7−δthin films by using Ge ion implantation

Abstract

For making trilayer superconducting devices based on YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ (YBCO) thin film processing, we developed a new technique by employing Ge ion implantation. A YBCO thin film of 150 nm thickness having high c-axis orientation and a transition temperature, T c , of 90 K was implanted with 80 keV, 1 × 10 16 Ge ions cm −2 at room temperature. By the result of TRIM calculation, Ge ions were found to penetrate into the YBCO thin film approximately 60 nm below the surface of the film, thus leaving the lower part of the film as a superconductor. Upon implantation with Ge ions, the implanted upper part of the sample lost its electrical conductivity and diamagnetism while its original crystalline structure was preserved. The implanted ions we found did not alter the overall crystal structure of the YBCO thin film; this allowed us to grow an epitaxial superconducting upper layer of YBCO on top of the implanted area, leaving no need to use any buffer layer. The superconducting properties of the upper layer were similar to those of the pure YBCO base layer with an increased room temperature resistivity and a lowered T c (88 K). This process provides an effective method for fabrication of a trilayer HTS device structure.