Metalorganic Deposition of High Critical Current Thin Films in the Bi--Sr--Ca--Cu--O System on {100} LaAlO sub 3 Substrates

Superconducting thin films of the two Cu-layer phase in the Pb-doped Bi--Sr--Ca--Cu--O system have been fabricated on {100} LaAlO sub 3 single crystals by the metalorganic deposition from ethyl hexanoate precursors. Thin films given heat treatments in air at 850-860 deg C had resistive transitions with a T sub c of 86-89K. The zero-field transport critical current densities were in the range of 2-4 x 10 exp 5 A/cm exp --2 at 77K and 10 exp 6 A cm exp --2 at 45K in 200-300-nm-thick films. In contrast to c-axis oriented films grown on {100} MgO, X-ray pole figures show that the films grown on {100} LaAlO sub 3 are epitaxial, a result confirmed by electron channeling patterns.