Ink-jet Printing of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 Superconducting Coatings and Patterns from Aqueous Solutions
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Ink-jet Printing of YBa2Cu3O7 Superconducting Coatings and Patterns from Aqueous Solutions Isabel Van Driessche1, Jonas Feys1, Pieter Vermeir1, Petra Lommens1 SCRiPTS, Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 – S3, 9000 Gent, Belgium, [email protected].
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ABSTRACT In this paper, we combine the use of Drop-on-Demand (DOD) ink-jet printing with completely water- based inks as a novel approach to the CSD process for coated conductors. This method holds the promise of improved scalability due to lower ink losses, continuous processing and a drastically increased precursor lifetime due to the prevention of solvent evaporation and dust incorporation. Moreover, ink-jet printing has the potential to switch quite easily from continuous coatings to a multi-filamentary pattern, which is particularly important for alternating current (AC) or field applications of coated conductors. The fluid properties, often expressed with dimensionless constants, like the Reynolds and Weber numbers, for printable liquids were determined. For proof-of-concept, single crystals of SrTiO3 with a low mismatch towards YBCO, were used as substrates. INTRODUCTION The production of low cost, long length YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) coated conductors is one of the main prerequisites for spreading the use of superconductivity in power applications. Currently, a promising coated conductor design is based on a metallic Ni-5%W tape (RABiTS) coated with a La2Zr2O7 – CeO2 buffer structure, and a superconducting YBCO top layer [1]. Up to now, vacuum techniques have resulted in the best properties for high temperature superconductor (HTSC) thin films. However, to reduce production costs and improve scalability, a shift towards chemical solution deposition (CSD) conditions would be preferred. The main advantages are the lower investment, faster deposition with higher yield, ease of stoichiometric composition control and modification, and processing under ambient pressure, enabling completely continuous production [2]. Inkjet printing is widely used for the fabrication of coatings and patterns onto a variety of substrates . It is a simple and cost-effective technique for ceramic coatings. The reproducible dispensing of ink droplets in the range of pL to nL volumes at high rates (kHz) allows for high 3D resolution, strict control of the thickness and gradient porosity. Inkjet systems can be readily scaled-up for industrial manufacturing and the technology is environmentally friendly utilizing only the exact amount of necessary material. In the present manuscript, drop-on-demand ink-jet printing of coatings and tracks will be reported using piezoelectric printing systems, on both single crystals and industrially-relevant metal substrates, using inks formulated based on non-fluorine chemistries.
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EXPERIMENT
Water-based precursor solutions were prepared by dissolving stable, cost-effective and easily available inorganic salts in an aqueous solution of coordinating ligands. As a result, solvation by water molecules is
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