Coated Conductor: Some Critical Aspects from Substrate to Device

This work reports some new studies related to critical aspects in the development of coated conductors (CC). New bi-axially textured tapes based on commercial copper alloys were fabricated and tested as substrates for LZO buffer layer deposited by chemical solution deposition (CSD). Such a layer form cube texture on NiW5 and Cu55Ni45 with an identical or even better texture than that of the substrate. It was shown that a S c(2x2) sub-layer formed at the metallic surface as a positive effect on the nucleation. The crystallisation of LZO on Cu55Ni45 still has to be improved, being inhibited by trapped C in the film. Recent progresses using our continuous MOCVD system are shown. A CC fabricated by an all MOCVD process has been obtained on SS/YSZ(IBAD) substrate with high transport critical current (170 A/cm-width, at 77 K). It is also shown that LZO(MOD) can efficiently protect Ni5W RABITS from oxidation during deposition of CeO2 layer by MOCVD under 30-40% O-2 partial pressure. This opens the possibility to fabricate a CC on RABITS by MOCVD. This shows that a mixed MOD/MOCVD approach could be efficient. Finally a 2m long CC SS/YSZ(IBAD) has been tested for fault current limiter applications. Best limitation was observed at 86 K where an equivalent energy of 340 J has been dissipated in the CC during 12 ms without apparent damage of the CC. In a subsequent operation, the CC was however destroyed. The causes are discussed in the perspective to design better architectures for this application.