Meter-long CeO2/YSZ/Y2O3 buffer layers for YBCO coated conductors using DC reactive sputtering

This paper reports CeO₂/YSZ/Y₂O₃ buffer layers deposited on biaxially textured NiW substrates by DC reactive sputtering in a reel-to-reel system. The effect of partial pressure of water vapor (P_H2O) on surface morphology and orientation of the Y₂O₃ films was examined. The obtained CeO₂/YSZ/Y₂O₃ buffer layers exhibit a highly biaxial texture, with in- and out-of-plane FWHM values respectively in the range of 6.0–7.0° and 4.5–5.5°. Crystallographic consistency of CeO₂/YSZ/Y₂O₃ along meter length is excellent. Atomic force microscope observation (AFM) reveals a smooth, continuous and crack-free surface with a Root-mean-square roughness (RMS) lower than 10 nm.