Title :
Gamma-ray and fast neutron radiation effects on thin film superconductors
Author :
Cooksey, J.W. ; Brown, W.D. ; Ang, S.S. ; Naseem, H.A. ; Ulrich, R.K. ; West, L.
Author_Institution :
High Density Electron. Center, Arkansas Univ., Fayetteville, AR, USA
Abstract :
The gamma-ray and neutron radiation hardness of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/, Tl/sub 2/Ba/sub 2/CaCu/sub 2/O/sub 8+x/ and Tl/sub 2/Ba/sub 2/Ca/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 10+x/ superconducting thin films deposited by off-axis sputtering and laser-ablation deposition techniques on substrates of MgO and LaAlO/sub 3/ was investigated. The unbiased samples were irradiated with 662 keV gamma-rays up to a cumulative dose of 1.5 Mrad(Si) and with neutron nuences up to 1/spl times/10/sup 14/ neutrons/cm/sup 2/. It was determined through nondestructive critical temperature transition, T/sub c/, and critical current density, J/sub c/, measurements and X-ray diffraction analysis that the thin film superconductors were radiation hard up to moderate levels of neutrons and gamma-rays. It was also determined that extended exposure to moderately humid air degraded the critical current density of all the films.<>
Keywords :
X-ray diffraction; critical current density (superconductivity); gamma-ray effects; multichip modules; neutron effects; radiation hardening; superconducting thin films; 662 keV; LaAlO/sub 3/; MgO; Tl/sub 2/Ba/sub 2/Ca/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 10+x/; Tl/sub 2/Ba/sub 2/Ca/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 10/; Tl/sub 2/Ba/sub 2/CaCu/sub 2/O/sub 8+x/; Tl/sub 2/Ba/sub 2/Cu/sub 2/O/sub 8/; X-ray diffraction analysis; YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/; YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/; critical current density; cumulative dose; fast neutron radiation effects; gamma-ray radiation effects; gamma-rays; laser-ablation deposition techniques; moderately humid air; neutron nuences; neutron radiation hardness; nondestructive critical temperature transition; off-axis sputtering; radiation hard; substrates; thin film superconductors; Critical current density; Current measurement; Density measurement; Neutron radiation effects; Sputtering; Substrates; Superconducting thin films; Superconducting transition temperature; Transistors; X-ray diffraction;
Journal_Title :
Nuclear Science, IEEE Transactions on
