Application of high rate magnetron sputtering to the fabrication of A-15 compounds

High quality Nb
3
Sn films have been fabricated using a recently developed magnetron sputtering process capable of deposition rates approaching 1 μm/min. at sputtering voltages less than 500 V and power levels of about 5 KW. Low sputtering voltages allow more complete thermalization at lower pressures of the material condensing on the substrate which can improve long range order. Transition temperatures of up to 18.3 ° K, J
c
(O)'s of 15 × 10
⁶
A/cm
²
and Hc
2
as high as 240 kOe have been achieved in 1-3 μm films deposited from a Nb
3
Sn reacted powder target with substrate temperatures between 600 and 800°C. The films exhibit smooth surfaces and, generally, a <200> preferred orientation. The growth of the film is columnar in nature. The sputtering parameters, substrate material and temperature will be related to film structure, T
c
and J
c
(H,T) and the Nb/Sn ratio as determined by Rutherford backscattering.