Low-Temperature Fabrication of Nd123 Epitaxial Films by KOH Flux Method Under Ambient Pressure

This study presents a simple and feasible method for fabricating high-performance REBa_2Cu_3O_y (RE123) films. Nd123 films were established on a single crystalline substrate by the KOH flux method at low temperature and ambient pressure. Above 425°C, the Nd123 in the obtained films demonstrated single-phase and biaxial orientation. The T_c^<onset> of Nd123 film was 67.1 K when fabricated at 525°C but reduced at lower fabrication temperatures, presumably because the Nd became increasingly substituted with Ba. Moreover, the T_c^<onset> of the Nd123 film fabricated at 475°C was enhanced by controlling the Nd/Ba composition ratio in the starting materials.