This SBIR Phase I Award emphasizes research on practical stable contacts to high transition temperature ceramic superconductors. the research could lead to the development of multilayer structures of (metal-conductor/transition-layer/superconductor) which are stable during sintering to temperatures near 9000C and which maintain low contact resistance to the superconductor. These multilayer contacts will be stable to thermal cycling above and below the superconducting critical temperature. Conducting oxide films will be deposited on appropriate substrates, and then superconducting oxides will be deposited on these by screen printing. The specimens will then be sintered at the appropriate high temperature. Chemical analysis of the films will be made using scanning auger microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy on a scanning electron microscope. This material structure would be suitable for fabrication of superconducting wire and cable with superconducting critical temperature over 770K. This wire would be used for superconducting magnets, power transmission, etc.
