REDUCED SPLASHING EFFECT IN LASER ABLATED SUPERCONDUCTING THIN-FILMS FORMED FROM A MELT-QUENCHED NONSUPERCONDUCTING AMORPHOUS TARGET

Comparison of superconducting thin films of Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O deposited by laser ablation from a melt-quenched, amorphous, nonsuperconducting target and a polycrystalline sintered superconducting target shows that they have similar superconducting properties, but the melt-quenched target yields a much smoother film. Additionally, the melt-quenched target is much easier to prepare with target preparation time reduced by a factor of twenty-five.