Unravelling the Crystallization Process in Solution-Derived YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ Nanocomposite Films with Preformed ZrO₂...

A low-cost chemical solution deposition technique was employed to prepare YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) nanocomposite films starting from a colloidal solution containing preformed ZrO₂ nanocrystals. As previous publications revealed, an increase in the amount of nanocrystals results in a progressive deterioration of the film properties. The parameters that control this process and their interplay are still unknown in detail. Using definitive screening design (DSD), a design-of-experiments approach, allowed determining which of the multiple growth parameters play a key role for improving the superconducting properties of YBCO nanocomposite films even with a large concentration of nanocrystals. In order to show the potential of DSD, it has been applied for the optimization of two different properties: the critical temperature T_c and the full width at half-maximum of the (005) YBCO reflection. This work shows that DSD is a powerful and efficient method that allows optimizing certain processes with a minimal number of experiments.