Low AC loss inkjet-printed multifilamentary YBCO coated conductors

Abstract

mpressive performance has been achieved in (RE)Ba2Cu3O7-δ (REBCO) coated conductors, but for many applications, the high cost and AC losses remain prohibitive. Inkjet printing methods combine scalability and low equipment cost with high resolution patterning, potentially addressing both issues by enabling the production of multifilamentary coated conductors without subtractive processing. The successful production of multifilamentary superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) structures by inkjet printing of a low-fluorine YBCO precursor solution on SS/ABAD–YSZ/CZO substrates is reported. Two approaches have been developed. In the first method, YBCO filaments were deposited directly on the buffered substrate by piezoelectric printing; and in the second approach, CeO2 tracks were first printed to pattern a subsequently overprinted YBCO film, creating a multifilamentary structure by an inverse technique. Scanning Hall probe measurements have been used to compare the filamentary structures and critical currents achieved by both methods, and a Jc of up to 3 MA cm-2 has been obtained at 77 K. For the inverse printing approach, the AC hysteresis losses have also been measured and compared with theoretical models.