Combined sputter and pulsed laser deposition for preparation of thin YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ films on buffered silicon substrates

For the deposition of epitaxial YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) on silicon substrate it is necessary to deposit buffer layers. We use sputtered Y-stabilized ZrO₂ (YSZ) and CeO₂ double layers. Use of sputtering for the deposition of the buffer layers avoids some disadvantages of the pulsed laser deposition, like the effect of droplets, to improve the multilayer technology on silicon with respect to their homogeneity and larger area. The YBCO is ex situ deposited by pulsed laser deposition. RBS and XRD investigations and electrical measurements were applied for the characterization of the single and multilayer films. The correlation between the characterized properties and the used deposition process were analyzed. We demonstrate the high quality of the sputtered buffer layer and the applicability of a combined film deposition for YBCO devices on silicon substrates.