Double-sided Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8
(Tl-2212) thin films have been prepared on lanthanum aluminate
(LaAlO3)
substrates by a two-step method in which Tl-free amorphous
Ba2CaCu2Ox
precursor films were first deposited on the substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and the
subsequent thalliation, crystallization and oriented growth of the superconducting Tl-2212 films
were obtained in a long-duration annealing process in argon atmosphere at temperature around
730–750 °C. The films were characterized by means of x-ray diffraction (XRD), electron
simulated x-ray microanalysis in the energy dispersive mode (EDX), scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) and transport measurements. The results show that the
as-prepared films are predominately single phase, except for the presence of some
submicron particles on the film surface. The films show epitaxial growth with
c-axis perpendicular to the substrate surface, as confirmed by XRD. The full width at half
maximum (FWHM) of the (0012) peak determined from the rocking curves is
0.92° and
1.21° for
the two sides of a double-sided Tl-2212 film, respectively. The zero-resistance transition temperature
(TC0)
is 108.8 K for one side and 106.7 K for the other side of the film. The critical current density
(JC) is in
excess of 106 A cm−2
for both sides of the films.