Superconducting joint of Bi-2223/Ag superconducting tapes by diffusion bonding

61-Filaments Bi-2223/Ag superconducting tapes have been joined by diffusion bonding. The critical currents (ICs) of the joints are obtained by using standard four probe method under no magnetic field in the liquid nitrogen. The microstructures of the joints are evaluated by the electron microscope in electron backscatter diffraction mode and the phase compositions of the superconducting cores of the joint and the original tape are determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show diffusion bonding is effective bonding technique for HTS tapes, and the bonding time is reduced greatly from hundreds of hours to a few hours, and the bonding pressure also changes from 140–4000 MPa to 3 MPa. Furthermore, the diffusion bonding joints sustain superconducting properties, and the critical current ratios (CCRO) of the joints are in the range of 35%–80%. Microstructures of the typical joint display a good bonding and some defects existed in traditional method are avoided. XRD results show that the phase compositions of the superconducting cores have no obvious changes before and after diffusion bonding, which offers physical and material bases for high superconducting property of the joints.