A superconductor tape and method for manufacturing, measuring, monitoring, and controlling same are disclosed. Embodiments are directed to a superconductor tape which includes a superconductor film overlying a buffer layer which overlies a substrate. In one embodiment, the superconductor film is defined as having a c-axis lattice constant higher than 11.74 Angstroms. In another embodiment, the superconductor film comprises BaMO.sub.3, where M=Zr, Sn, Ta, Nb, Hf, or Ce, and which has a (101) peak of BaMO.sub.3 elongated along an axis that is between 60? to 90? from an axis of the (001) peaks of the superconductor film. These and other embodiments achieve well-aligned nanocolumnar defects and thus a high lift factor, which can result in superior critical current performance of the tape in, for example, high magnetic fields.

A joined body includes: a first superconducting layer, a barrier layer arranged on the first superconducting layer, and a second superconducting layer arranged on the barrier layer. The first superconducting layer, the barrier layer, and the second superconducting layer are formed of a REBCO. A leak current from one of the first superconducting layer and the second superconducting layer to the other of the first superconducting layer and the second superconducting layer is blocked by the barrier layer.

A vapor deposition reactor apparatus, systems and methods for deposition of thin films, particularly high-temperature superconducting (HTS) coated conductors, utilize multi-sided susceptors and susceptor pairs for increased production throughput. The reactors may also be configured in multi-stack arrangements of the susceptors within a single reactor chamber for additional throughput gains.

A superconductive wire conductor is produced by: embedding a plurality of deposition substrates formed to have a predetermined size in parallel with each other to a connection base material to connect and integrate therewith; depositing an intermediate layer, a superconductive layer and a protective layer on a deposition surface side of the deposition substrate; and winding a single or multiple integrated superconductive conductors around a desired core material, separating each single superconductive wire from the integrated superconductive conductor and winding each superconductive wire around the core material or winding the integrated or separated wire alternately, whereby a superconductive conductor having a good superconductive characteristic without a problem regarding a shape thereof such as local protrusions.

There is a superconducting article that includes a superconducting film comprising a substrate, one or more buffer layers, and a high temperature superconducting (HTS) layer. The superconducting layer may be comprised of the chemical composition REBa.sub.2Cu.sub.3O.sub.7?x, where RE is one or more rare earth elements, for example: Y, La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu. The superconductor layer is produced using Photo-Assisted Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (PAMOCVD) and contains non-superconducting nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are substantially provided in the a-b plane and naturally oriented. The non-superconducting nanoparticles provide flux pinning centers that improve the critical current properties of the superconducting film.

A raw material solution contains a rare earth element carboxylate having 1 or more and 4 or less carbon atoms, a barium carboxylate having 1 or more and 4 or less carbon atoms, and a copper carboxylate having 1 or more and 4 or less carbon atoms, as solutes, and water, two or more types of alcohols having 1 or more and 4 or less carbon atoms, a carboxylic acid having 1 or more and 4 or less carbon atoms, and a basic organic solvent, as solvents. A method for manufacturing an oxide superconducting material comprises a step of preparing a raw material solution, a step of forming a coating film from the raw material solution, a step of heating the coating film to form a calcined film, and a step of heating the calcined film to form an oxide superconducting material.

An MOCVD system fabricates high quality superconductor tapes with variable thicknesses. The MOCVD system can include a gas flow chamber between two parallel channels in a housing. A substrate tape is heated and then passed through the MOCVD housing such that the gas flow is perpendicular to the tape's surface. Precursors are injected into the gas flow for deposition on the substrate tape. In this way, superconductor tapes can be fabricated with variable thicknesses, uniform precursor deposition, and high critical current densities.

A method for depositing a high temperature superconductor (=HTS) onto a tape (2), in particular by pulsed laser deposition (=PLD). The tape is wound off a source reservoir (3), heated and transported through a deposition zone (21), and wound up at a target reservoir (5). HTS material (32) is deposited onto the heated transported tape in the deposition zone, and the tape is led through the deposition zone by a guide structure (4). During deposition of the HTS material, the source reservoir, the guide structure and the target reservoir are rotated around a common rotation axis (9), such that parts of the tape rotating along with the guide structure repeatedly cross the deposition zone. This permits depositing a HTS onto a tape, in particular by PLD, which allows a high quality of the deposited HTS material for long tape lengths.

A superconductor tape may be fabricated via Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) to achieve peel strengths greater than approximately 4.5 N/cm. The superconductor tape may be fabricated via MOCVD with a REBCO composition that includes the elements Samarium (Sm)-Barium(Ba)-Copper(Cu)-Oxygen(O). Varying levels of Copper (Cu) content can achieve peel strengths ranging between approximately 4.5 N/cm to approximately 8.0 N/cm.

An MOCVD system fabricates high quality superconductor tapes with variable thicknesses. The MOCVD system can include a gas flow chamber between two parallel channels in a housing. A substrate tape is heated and then passed through the MOCVD housing such that the gas flow is perpendicular to the tape's surface. Precursors are injected into the gas flow for deposition on the substrate tape. In this way, superconductor tapes can be fabricated with variable thicknesses, uniform precursor deposition, and high critical current densities.