Preparation and crystalline qualities of SrTiO₃ and CeO ₂ buffer layers fabricated on Ni substrates via a sol-gel method for YBCO coated conductors

High purity rolled Ni substrate was annealed at 1000 °C for 60 min to develop a cube texture with a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) value of 5.26°. Strontium acetate, titanium (IV) butoxide, and inorganic cerium nitrite were used as the starting materials for fabrication of SrTiO₃ and CeO₂ buffer layers via a sol-gel method on the Ni substrate material. The results show that the heat treatment temperature and holding time affect both the surface morphology and the texture of the buffer layers. The SrTiO₃ and CeO₂ buffer layers grown on the Ni substrate show a sharp (200) orientation distribution. An intermediate layer was found between the SrTiO₃ layer and the Ni substrate. By optimizing the heat treatment parameters, the ω-scan FWHM values can reach 5.31° and 6.60° for the SrTiO₃ and CeO₂ buffer layers, respectively.