Nanoscale stoichiometric analysis of a high-temperature superconductor by atom probe tomography
File(s)ORA.docx (3.26 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The functional properties of the high-temperature superconductor Y1Ba2Cu3O7−δ (Y-123) are closely correlated to the exact stoichiometry and oxygen content. Exceeding the critical value of 1 oxygen vacancy for every five unit cells (δ>0.2, which translates to a 1.5 at% deviation from the nominal oxygen stoichiometry of Y7.7Ba15.3Cu23O54−δ ) is sufficient to alter the superconducting properties. Stoichiometry at the nanometer scale, particularly of oxygen and other lighter elements, is extremely difficult to quantify in complex functional ceramics by most currently available analytical techniques. The present study is an analysis and optimization of the experimental conditions required to quantify the local nanoscale stoichiometry of single crystal yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) samples in three dimensions by atom probe tomography (APT). APT analysis required systematic exploration of a wide range of data acquisition and processing conditions to calibrate the measurements. Laser pulse energy, ion identification, and the choice of range widths were all found to influence composition measurements. The final composition obtained from melt-grown crystals with optimized superconducting properties was Y7.9Ba10.4Cu24.4O57.2.
Date Issued
2017-04-01
Date Acceptance
2017-01-31
Citation
Microscopy and Microanalysis, 2017, 23 (2), pp.414-424
ISSN
1431-9276
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Start Page
414
End Page
424
Journal / Book Title
Microscopy and Microanalysis
Volume
23
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© Microscopy Society of America 2017. This paper has been accepted for publication and will appear in a revised form, subsequent to peer-review and/or editorial input by Cambridge University Press.
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000405595600026&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Microscopy
Materials Science
Atom probe tomography
YBCO
superconductor
stoichiometry
OXYGEN STOICHIOMETRY
THIN-FILMS
OPTIMIZATION
YBA2CU3OX
CERAMICS
PROGRESS
DEFECTS
OXIDES
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2017-01-31