A possibility of enhancing J_c in MgB₂ film grown on metallic hastelloy tape with the use of SiC buffer layer

We have grown MgB₂ on SiC buffer layer by using metallic Hastelloy tape as the substrate. Hastelloy tape was chosen for its potential practical applications, mainly in the power cable industry. SiC buffer layers were deposited on Hastelloy tapes at 400, 500, and 600 degrees C by using a pulsed laser deposition method, and then by using a hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition technique, MgB₂ films were grown on the three different SiC buffer layers. An enhancement of critical current density values were noticed in the MgB₂ films on SiC/Hastelloy deposited at 500 and 600 degrees C. From the surface analysis, smaller and denser grains of MgB₂ tapes are likely to cause this enhancement. This result infers that the addition of SiC buffer layers may contribute to the improvement of superconducting properties of MgB₂ tapes.