Study of oxygen incorporation in PLD MgB2 films by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy

Abstract

The Rutherford backscattering (RBS) method has been employed to study the incorporation of oxygen into MgB2 films during their fabrication by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD). A series of MgB2 thin film samples were analyzed, including two films produced in situ on Al2O3 - c substrates (with higher T-c and lower T-c) with an on-axis geometry, one film produced in situ with an off-axis geometry, and one film produced ex situ, with a bulk-like T-c. The amount of oxygen detected by RBS, which is stable in the form of MgO, appears to be correlated with the T-c of the films, the higher the T-c the lower the oxygen content. The superconducting properties of the thin films are discussed in the context of the RBS results. © 2007, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)