Melt growth and superconducting properties of textured Ag-YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/ conductors

Textured Ag foils 200 /spl mu/m thick have been obtained after cold rolling and recrystallization at 800/spl deg/C with a reduction ratio of up to 95%. Subsequently, a thick layer of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/ (20 /spl mu/m) has been deposited by screen printing, A directional solidification process under a temperature gradient with displacement velocity between 1 mm/h and 10 mm/h has been performed to induce a biaxial texture to the superconducting layer. This last treatment has been performed at low P(O/sub 2/) atmosphere and at maximum temperatures below 945/spl deg/C. The texture of the layers has been studied by X-ray diffraction, rocking curves and pole figures, whilst the critical currents have been measured inductively by SQUID magnetometry. The relationship between the in-plane crystalline orientation and the observed critical currents has been discussed.