Effect of substrate temperature on the growth of Nb3Sn film on Nb by multilayer sputtering

Abstract

Nb3Sn films were fabricated by multilayer sequential sputtering on Nb at substrate temperatures ranging from room temperature to 250 °C. The multilayers were then annealed inside a separate vacuum furnace at 950 °C for 3h. The films material properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The films superconducting properties were studied by four-point probe resistivity measurements from room temperature to below the superconducting critical temperature Tc. The highest film Tc was 17.76 K, obtained when the multilayers were deposited at room temperature. A superconducting Nb3Sn thin film with a smoother surface morphology but a lower Tc of 17.58 K was obtained on the film deposited at a substrate temperature of 250 °C.