Influence of the Substrate Surface Morphology on the Texture of Magnesium Oxide Films Grown Via Inclined Substrate Deposition

For the deposition of inclined substrate deposited MgO with application as a texture buffer in high temperature superconducting wires, the surface morphology of the metallic substrate plays a crucial role. The influence of various substrate surface morphologies (polished, etched, and rolled surfaces) is investigated. It is found that morphologies with the preferred orientation perpendicular to the tape direction are detrimental to the inclined substrate deposition (ISD) texture quality. In contrast, structures aligned parallel to the tape direction, such as scratches in tape direction, are suitable to produce tapes with high ISD MgO texture quality.