LPE growth of RE123 crystals from NiO saturated solution

We tried to apply NiO materials as a buffer layer for LPE (Liquid Phase Epitaxy) coated conductors with Ni substrate. We confirmed that NiO could suppress the reaction between NiO/Ni substrate and solution saturated with NiO. On the other hand, NiO addition to the solution decreased the peritectic temperature of the Y123 and increased the crystallization temperature of the Ba-Cu-Ni-O compound. This makes it difficult to grow the Y123 crystal from the NiO saturated solution. Instead of Y123, we selected Sm123 which has a higher peritectic temperature than Y123, and confirmed that Sm123 could be grown stably from the NiO saturated solution not only on MgO substrate but also Ni substrate. Because of its low T/sub c/ value of Sm123 grown from the NiO saturated solution, the (Y,Yb)123 layer was epitaxially grown as the superconductive layer on it from the solution without NiO.