Abstract:
A method and a device for producing a composite oxide thin film easily at low temperatures, which provide an excellent crystallinity, control a basic unit lattice structure, and require no post-treatment; and a composite oxide thin film, especially, a Cu-based high-temperature superconducting thin film produced thereby. A discharge supply layer (1) and a superconducting layer (2) constituting a Cu-based high-temperature superconducting thin film are sputtered by alternately controlling in film thickness a charge supply layer-use target having the composition of the charge supply layer (1) and a superconducting layer-use target having the composition of the superconduction layer (2), and the alternate sputters are repeated a required number of times to produce a Cu-based superconducting thin film having a desired film thickness. For the charge supply layer-use target, a charge supply layer-composition target is used in which part of Cu is substituted by an element having a structure stabilizing effect.
Abstract:
Structure and a method for producing very dense bodies of material from particulate materials. A particulate material is placed within an electrically conductive container. A solenoid or coil encompasses the electrically conductive container, and a large magnitude of electrical current is caused to flow through the solenoid or coil. As the electrical current flows through the solenoid or coil, large magnitudes of magnetic pressures are created upon the electrically conductive container, and the electrically conductive container is compressed, and the transverse dimension thereof is reduced. Thus, the particulate material within the electrically conductive container is very firmly compacted, and a rigid body of material is provided. Any one of numerous types of particulate material may be employed. For example, a body of electrical superconductive material of any desired size and shape can be produced by this method by the use of superconducting particulate material. A method and system for selecting various parameters which enable the material to be "over-pressure" and densified to densities in excess of 90 % of the material's maximum density is also illustrated in another embodiment of the invention. The various parameters include establishing a stand-off distance, a container wall density and thickness, a fill density and a compressibility value for the material. Once the various parameters are established and for a selected material, the material is magnetically compacted to over-pressure the material to a pressure level which exceeds the pressure applied by a wall of the container. This, in turn, enables the system and method to densify the material to densities in excess of 90 % of its maximum density.
Abstract:
A method for producing a porous body having high porosity comprising the steps of applying an adhesive to a synthetic resin foam, which constitutes a base body, such as urethane foam having a three-dimensional net structure so as to impart stickiness to the surface of the resin foam, applying powder such as copper oxide to the resin foam, and fire the resin foam so as to remove the base body and sinter the powder for producing a porous body to which the pattern of the base body is transferred. With the method, it is possible to produce a porous body having great strength without limitation in selection of material by suitably selecting powder.
Abstract:
A strongly-linked polycrystalline oxide superconductor article includes an oxide superconductor selected from the group consisting of 124-type and 247-type oxide superconductors having fine, highly aligned oxide superconductor grains less than 50 mu m along a longest dimension. The oxide superconductor article has at least a 25 % retention of critical current density in a 0.1 Tesla field. A method for preparing a strongly-linked oxide superconductor includes shaping a finely divided metallic precursor of an oxide superconductor; oxidizing the finely divided metallic precursor to produce a finely divided sub-oxide species while avoiding conversion of an appreciable amount of the sub-oxide species into the oxide superconductor; annealing and deforming the article, in either order, the annealing carried out at a temperature and for a time sufficient to convert some of the sub-oxide species into fine grains of the oxide superconductor thereby forming a mixture of sub-oxide species and oxide superconductor and the deformation carried out such that the fine grains of oxide superconductor are rotated into alignment parallel to an intended current carrying direction of the article without fracturing or pulverization of the oxide superconductor grains; alternating annealing and deformation of the article until no further improvement in alignment is observed; and subjecting the aligned grains to a final anneal in order to react any remaining sub-oxide species and maximize the growth and sintering of existing aligned grains.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to completely sealed high-Tc superconducting ceramic oxide products, and method for making such products. One method includes pressing a superconducting ceramic oxide powder (26) into a hollow body (24) of a material inert to oxygen; sintering the ceramic oxide powder; and then sealing any openings of the body. Optionally, a step of applying multiple pulses of alternate magnetic field to the powder during its sintering can be included. A second method includes making a high-Tc superconducting ceramic oxide thin film (100); optionally sintering the thin film in a furnace (102), while a magnetic field is applied through use of solenoids (106); and then removing partial oxygen content of the thin film through use of a scanning tunneling electron treatment machine (114, 116, 120) thereby forming an insulation layer between two high-Tc superconducting domains of the thin film.
Abstract:
Compositions having the formula Tl1-xBixSr2Ca2Cu3O9 wherein x is from about 3/20 to about 11/20 are superconducting with transition temperatures above 110 K. Processes for making and using the compositions of the invention are provided.
Abstract:
A reinforced, nonglass-forming composition ceramic fiber, including a superconductive oxide fiber, is formed from ceramic material, prepared by a sol-gel, liquid mix, or preceramic polymer process without glass-forming materials therein, and a plurality of whiskers. The fibers have sufficient tensile strength to allow handling of the fibers without breakage.