NdGaO, (NGO) is, due to its low loss characteristics, a favourite substrate for high frequency applications [ 11. However, problems occur when trying to deposit high quality YBaCuO layers on top of it. The optimum deposition temperature during pulsed laser deposition to obtain high T,, high critical current values and c-axis orientation on NGO is significantly higher than for standard substrates, like SrTiO, or YSZ. A disadvantage of this high deposition temperature is the quality of the film surface. The number of outgrowths and precipitates increases rapidly at higher temperatures. To improve the quality of the layers, the effect of a CeO, template layer was investigated, leading to remarkable and very promising results. In this paper we focus on the orientation as well as on the surface morphology with and without a CeO, template layer on NGO. The orientations were analysed with XRD, the surface morphology with SEM and STM/AFM.
ExperimentalThin YBaCuO films (80 nm) were deposited on NdGaO, (100) substrates with the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique, using an Excimer-laser in XeCl-mode. The parameters, which were kept constant during this study, are the following: laser energy density of 1.2 J/cm2, spot size = 1.8 X 4.0 mm', repetition rate = 2 Hz, oxygen pressure of 30 Pa, distance target to substrate 45 mm, PLD-time = 10 min. post PLD pressure = 1 bar, and cooling * Corresponding author. Tel.. +31-53 4893121; fax: +31-53 4891099; e-mail: d.h.a.blank@tn.utwente.nl. down procedure within 30 min. The deposition temperature has been varied in a range of 50 degrees around the optimum deposition temperature for SrTiO, substrates, being in our set-up Tdep = 740°C [2]. With the PLD technique it was possible to assemble a CeO, template layer prior to the deposition of the YBaCuO film. The PLD parameters of CeO, were similar to YBCO, except for the O,-pressure during deposition (10 Pa), repetition rate of 1 Hz and a PLD-time of 5 min for a 25 nm thin film. In this study, also the deposition temperature of the CeO, layer has been varied in the same temperature window as given above. The growth of the CeO, layer was followed by the in situ YBaCuO deposition.The crystallographic orientation of the CeO, tem-