Orientation of YBa2Cu3O7-x films on unbuffered and CeO2-buffered yttria-stabilized zirconia substrates

YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) films deposited by pulsed laser ablation on unbuffered and CeO2-buffered yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates were studied by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy to investigate film orientation. From φ scans it was determined that the unbuffered films possess two major in-plane orientation relationships with the substrate. Both have (001)YBCO parallel(001)YSZ, with either [100]YBCO parallel[100]YSZ or [110]YBCO parallel[100]YSZ, a 0 degree or 45 degree orientation, respectively. As deposition temperature increases, satellite peaks that straddle the 0 degree or 45 degree orientations develop. The Σ boundary and near coincident site lattice descriptions are applied to the discussion of these misorientations. In general the CeO2-buffered YBCO films align with to the 45 degree orientation to the CeO2 buffer layer. Out-of-plane film orientation was investigated for both unbuffered and CeO2-buffered YBCO films and expressed as a ratio of the amount of c perpendicular material to a perpendicular material. Buffered films exhibited c perpendicular material to a perpendicular material ratios approximately twice those of unbuffered films. Transmission electron microscopy combined with the x-ray data was used to develop an explanation for the trends in the variation of the c perpendicular/a perpendicular ratio with film deposition temperature