Freestanding GdBa <sub>2</sub> Cu <sub>3</sub> O <sub>7−δ</sub> Thin Films via Optimized Buffer Layer Design: Preserving Superconducting Properties
Freestanding GdBa2Cu3O7−δ (GdBCO) superconducting thin films were fabricated using a water-soluble Sr3Al2O6 (SAO) sacrificial layer in combination with thermal release tape. An amorphous Al2O3 capping layer was introduced to suppress crack formation during the lift-off process. The influence of buffer-layer design inserted between the GdBCO and SAO layers was systematically investigated with respect to structural integrity and superconducting properties after lift-off. A LaAlO3/SrTiO3 bilayer buffer was found to be essential for maintaining epitaxial growth and a superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of approximately 92 K after lift-off, comparable to that of the as-grown films. In contrast, a reversed SrTiO3/LaAlO3 bilayer and single-layer buffer structures led to a suppression of Tc, highlighting the critical role of stacking sequences. These results demonstrate that optimization of the buffer-layer design is a key factor for realizing high-quality freestanding GdBCO films while maintaining their superconducting characteristics.
Authors
- Kai Walter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5366-6639)
- Takafumi Hatano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6509-5835)
- Manuela Erbe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9698-1509)
- K. Iida (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1038-9630)
- Satoshi Hata
- Jens Hänisch
- Kose Morinaga
- Hongye Gao
Institutions
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (DE)
- Nihon University (JP)
- Kyushu University (JP)
- College of Industrial Technology (JP)
- Nagoya University (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ACS Applied Electronic Materials
- Published
- 2026-04-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaelm.6c00542
- Primary Topic
- Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology