Material Science

2G REBCO Tape Architecture

Understanding the micrometer-scale multilayer nanostructure that enables zero-resistance current above liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K).

Superconducting Physics

REBCO vs Legacy Superconductors

REBCO (Rare-Earth Barium Copper Oxide) is the only commercially scalable High-Temperature Superconductor combining a 92 K critical temperature with high in-field critical current performance at liquid nitrogen temperatures.

High Magnetic Field Ceiling (20T – 45T) Outperforms NbTi (10T ceiling at 4.2K) and Nb₃Sn (15T ceiling) for tokamak fusion magnets and high-field NMR spectroscopy.
Liquid Nitrogen Cooling (77 K) Cooled with affordable, readily available liquid nitrogen — not expensive and scarce liquid helium (4.2K) required by legacy LTS materials.
NMR MRI HEP Fusion Generators Motors Cables FCL 40 T 35 T 30 T 25 T 20 T 15 T 10 T 5 T 0 T 0 K 10 K 20 K 30 K 40 K 50 K 60 K 70 K 80 K 90 K 100 K Temperature T (Kelvin) Magnetic Field B (Tesla) NbTi Nb₃Sn MgB₂ BSCCO 2223 NdFeAsOF REBCO 92K
Field vs Temperature Spectrum

Operating Envelope Comparison

REBCO 2G HTS 40T@20K · 20T@77K
Fusion Tokamaks, HTS Cables, Fault Current Limiters, High-Field NMR
BSCCO 2223 (1G HTS) 25T@20K · 2T@77K
Brittle powder-in-tube, heat-sensitive, poor in-field current retention
MgB₂ (Magnesium Diboride) 5T@20K · — @39K
Low-cost but limited magnetic field capability; needs 20K refrigeration
NbTi & Nb₃Sn (LTS) 10–15T @ 4.2K He
Requires liquid helium infrastructure; global supply constraint

Reel-to-Reel Thin-Film Deposition

Zero Resistance Superconductors manufactures 2nd Generation Coated Conductor (2G-HTS) tape using atomic-scale epitaxial deposition onto high-tensile flexible metal substrates.

Unlike brittle 1G BSCCO wire, 2G REBCO tape exhibits remarkable mechanical resilience — carrying up to 800 Amps per cm-width under intense Lorentz magnetic forces while bending to a 10mm radius without Ic degradation.

Tc = 92 K (−181 °C) REBCO Matrix Ic 300–800 A/cm
Reel to Reel REBCO Manufacturing Cleanroom
Micrometer Composite Architecture

Click Any Layer to Inspect Specs

The active REBCO superconducting layer is only 1–5 μm thick — yet it is the workhorse of the entire tape stack, supported by structural, thermal, and crystallographic buffer layers.

3D Cutaway Schematic of 2G REBCO Superconductor Tape Layer Stack Architecture
1 · Silver (Ag) Cap 1–2 μm
2 · REBCO Superconductor Core 1–5 μm ★
3 · Epitaxial Buffer Stack 100–250 nm
4 · Hastelloy / SS316 Substrate 30–150 μm
5 · Copper / Stainless Electroplated 50–125 μm
PROTECTIVE CAP

Silver (Ag) Protective Layer (~1–2 μm)

Provides a low-resistance electrical shunt and chemically stabilizes the underlying superconducting REBCO oxide layer against environmental degradation and thermal over-temperature quench events.

  • Thickness: 1 to 2 micrometers
  • Function: Thermal shunt & electrical bypass protection
Epitaxial Manufacturing

4 Core REBCO Deposition Methodologies

High-vacuum thin-film synthesis techniques for continuous kilometer-scale tape production.

Thin-Film Deposition Process Comparison (PLD, MOCVD, MOD, RCE)

Schematic comparison of PLD, MOCVD, MOD, and RCE superconductor thin film deposition methods

Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD)

Excimer laser vaporizes stoichiometric REBCO ceramic targets to deposit defect-pinned crystalline films with ultra-high critical current density (Jc) in applied magnetic fields. Used in research and high-performance prototype tapes.

Metal-Organic CVD (MOCVD)

Decomposes metal-organic precursor gases onto heated flexible metal tape substrates, enabling continuous high-speed reel-to-reel web coating. Currently the leading commercial deposition method for kilometer-scale production.

Metal-Organic Deposition (MOD)

Applies a liquid metal-organic precursor solution followed by controlled thermal decomposition baking. Offers a low-cost, high-yield chemical synthesis route scalable to industrial width formats.

Reactive Co-Evaporation (RCE)

Simultaneously thermal-evaporates rare-earth constituent metals under precise oxygen partial pressure to achieve the fastest deposition rates over wide-format tape substrates for high-throughput production lines.