Anisotropic properties of BSCCO (2212) films deposited on tilted substrates

Intrinsic Josephson junctions with single crystals or thin films of high-Tc superconductor have been studied. For this purpose, BiSrCaCuO (2212) films have been deposited on tilted strontium titanate substrates using a dc sputtering system. Superconducting and structural properties of these films have already been reported. In the present study, the surface morphology of films deposited on the tilted substrates is investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy. Many steps and terraces are seen in the film on the tilted substrate. Furthermore, two more films, prepared on the tilted substrates simultaneously are subjected to resistivity measurements across and along the terraces, respectively. The anisotropy parameter /spl gamma/,((ratio of resistivity measured along the c-axis and the a-axis)0.5), calculated from the resistivity measurement is found to be of the order of 50 in the films. A semiconductor-like behavior has been observed above the critical temperature in the temperature-resistivity characteristics, across the terraces.