SBIR Phase I: Novel buffer layers for superior superconductor films on a low-cost substrate

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目旨在通过降低组件成本和提高可制造性来增加高温超导体（HTS）的商业用途。 具体而言，创新是在新的衬底材料上生产高质量的HTS薄膜，这是目前商业使用的衬底成本的一小部分。 目前，所提出的低成本衬底和HTS材料的物理性质的不相容性阻碍了商业应用。这种不相容性将通过在衬底和HTS之间生长的创新缓冲层来桥接。 研究目标集中在确定缓冲层的关键参数，导致上级高温超导薄膜适合于实际应用。一系列具有不同缓冲层变化的高温超导薄膜将被生长。这些薄膜将通过原子力显微镜进行表征。 此外，还将测量它们的转变温度和临界电流密度。 一个原型的商业相关的高温超导薄膜与优化的缓冲层参数，在低成本的基板上制造，将是第一阶段研究的最终产品。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力在于，它能够实现高性能超导体无线滤波器产品，其生产成本大大低于可比超导体滤波器。 该滤波器将减少掉话并增加基站范围，从而增强客户的无线体验。 由于基站安装数量减少，无线运营商将受益于基础设施成本的降低，这也将对环境产生有益的影响。 该创新的直接目标市场是蜂窝基站原始设备制造商（OEM）和无线运营商。无线滤波器设备的总市场每年为4亿美元，并以每年22%的速度增长。 该项目还将提高对缓冲层设计对薄膜性能的作用的理解，这将有利于其他领域，如磁性薄膜和其他薄膜材料系统，其中不兼容的基板限制了商业应用。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project aims to increase the commercial use of high temperature superconductors (HTSs) by reducing component costs and increasing manufacturability. Specifically, the innovation is to produce high-quality HTS thin films on a new substrate material that is a fraction of the cost of substrates currently in commercial use. The incompatibility in the physical properties of the proposed low cost substrate and HTS material prevent commercial application at present. This incompatibility will be bridged by an innovative buffer layer grown between the substrate and HTS. The research objectives are focused on identifying the critical parameters of the buffer layer that result in superior HTS films suitable for practical applications. A series of HTS thin films with different buffer layer variations will be grown. The films will be characterized by atomic force microscopy. In addition, their transition temperature and critical current density will be measured. A prototype commercially-relevant HTS film with optimized buffer layer parameters, fabricated on a low-cost substrate, will be the end product of the Phase I research. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is that it enables a high-performance superconductor wireless filter product that can be produced at greatly reduced costs over comparable superconductor filters. The filter will reduce dropped calls and increase base station range, thus enhancing the customer's wireless experience. Wireless carriers will benefit from reduced infrastructure costs due to a lower number of base station installations, which will also have a beneficial environmental impact. The immediate target markets of the innovation are cellular base station original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and wireless operators. The total market for wireless filter equipment is $400 million per year and is growing at 22% per year. The project will also result in an increased understanding of the role of buffer layer designs on thin film properties, which will have a benefit in other areas, such as magnetic thin films and other thin film material systems where incompatible substrates limit commercial applications.