Deposition of YBCO thin films on MgO buffer layer fabricated on Si substrates

Epitaxial growth of YBCO thin films with a MgO buffer layer on Si[100] substrate is reported. The MgO thin film was deposited by RF magnetron sputtering, using a single crystal MgO target. The crystallization of the MgO thin films was found to be dependent on the substrate temperature and the sputtering gas mixture. The x-ray diffraction pattern showed that the MgO thin film grew epitaxially in the [200] orientation on the Si substrates in atmosphere containing nitrogen gas. YBCO thin films deposited by laser ablation on Si substrate buffered with MgO thin films had a c-axis orientation with a critical temperature of 82 K. The critical temperature was found to be dependent on the substrate temperature in depositing the MgO buffer layer. Also the surface morphology of MgO and YBCO thin films is discussed.