[en] CrO_x thin films were prepared on single crystal silicon (111 orientation) and glass substrates by midfrequency (41 kHz) ac sputtering technique in an Isoflux ICM-10 sputter deposition system consisting of two hollow cylindrical targets of Cr in an argon-oxygen plasma at a discharge power of 5 kW and without any deliberate substrate heating. X-ray diffraction studies showed that the coatings were of hcp rhombohedral α-phase chromium oxide. CrO_x coating samples were found to grow preferentially towards the (110) crystal orientation of α-Cr₂O₃. Texturing was found to depend on the orientation of the substrates relative to the targets and also on the nature of substrates. One coating sample grown on Si substrate was annealed in air up to 1173 K. Whereas heat treatment increased the crystallite size, CrO_x coating was thermally stable and did not show any structural transformations. Scanning electron microscopy studies showed differences in the surface morphology of the coatings grown on glass and silicon substrates. Dynamic secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements performed on one CrO_x coating deposited on silicon showed that the O/Cr ratio in the films was 1.38. Ar and H impurity concentrations were also measured in this coating as a function of film thickness. Alumina coatings were prepared on Si substrates by reactive sputtering technique using CrO_x coating as template layers. X-ray diffraction studies showed that CrO_x template layers improved the crystallinity of alumina coatings grown on top of it and also facilitated the formation of the thermodynamically stable α-alumina phase

[en] We have grown epitaxial CeO₂ buffer layers on biaxially textured Ni-W substrates for YBCO coated conductors using a newly developed metal organic decomposition (MOD) approach. Precursor solution of 0.25 M concentration was spin coated on short samples of Ni-3 at%W (Ni-W) substrates and heat-treated at 1100 C in a gas mixture of Ar-4%H₂ for 15 min. Detailed x-ray studies indicate that CeO₂ films have good out-of-plane and in-plane textures with full-width-half-maximum values of 5.8 deg. and 7.5 deg., respectively. High temperature in situ XRD studies show that the nucleation of CeO₂ films starts at 600 C and the growth completes within 5 min when heated at 1100 C. SEM and AFM investigations of CeO₂ films reveal a fairly dense microstructure without cracks and porosity. Highly textured YSZ barrier layers and CeO₂ cap layers were deposited on MOD CeO₂-buffered Ni-W substrates using rf-magnetron sputtering. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) was used to grow YBCO films on these substrates. A critical current, J_c, of about 1.5 MA cm^-2 at 77 K and self-field was obtained on YBCO (PLD)/CeO₂ (sputtered)/YSZ (sputtered)/CeO₂ (spin-coated)/Ni-W