Electrochemical synthesis of Hg-Ba-Ca-CuO superconducting thin films from a nonaqueous solution

Quaternary alloy thin films of Hg-Ba-Ca-Cu with the composition 1:2:2:3 were successfully synthesised from a dimethyl sulphoxide bath using the electrodeposition technique. Ba-Ca-Cu alloy films were first electrodeposited onto silver substrates at a deposition potential of −1.2 V versus SCE. These films where then oxidised at 600°C for 8 h and mercury electrodeposited on these films at a potential of −1.3 V versus SCE followed by an oxidation treatment at 200°C for 8 h. The films, after these treatments, were tested for their electrical properties and were found to show superconducting behaviour below T c = 114 K.