Effects of chemical etching on structure and properties of Y0.5Gd0.5Ba2Cu3O7-z coated conductors

Corrosion resistance is a crucial property to achieve successful superconducting joints of Y0.5Gd0.5Ba2Cu3O7-z (YGdBCO) coated conductors (CCs). Cu and Ag metallic layers need to be fully removed from the area of conductor to be joint to allow for a superconducting path across the joint. Therefore, when using a wet etching process to remove the metallic layers, the joint performance can be significantly influenced by the etching conditions. The effects of chemical etching with ammonia water and hydrogen peroxide mixture on crystal structure, surface microstructure and critical current (Ic) of YGdBCO CCs were systematically investigated. We found the set of etching parameters that does not affect conductor performance, leaving the Ic of the YGdBCO conductor unchanged upon etching. However, when the etching conditions are not optimal, decrease in Ic was found and the underlying reasons driving the degradation were investigated. Raman spectroscopy and XRD analysis indicated that the reduced Ic is mainly due to oxygen deficiency in the YGdBCO crystal lattice.