Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 February 2011
A metallo-organic deposition technique was employed to grow Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x flexible films on unpolished metal foils (stainless steel and silver). Since strong interactions occurred at elevated temperatures between stainless steel and superconducting oxides, HfO2 buffer layers prepared by ion-assisted deposition were used to stabilize the system and Na additions were used to reduce processing temperature and enhance grain growth. The transition of superconducting films on stainless steel was complete around 70–73 K, and the critical current density was about 1000 A/cm2 at 10 K. Silver appears to be an attractive metal support due to its chemical stability and mechanical ductility. The film on silver showed the onset to superconductivity at 77 K, attaining zero resistance at 73 K. The critical current density in zero magnetic field was approximately 27000 A/cm2 at 20 K, comparable to that obtained from MOD films on MgO (100).