Interfacial phenomena in PbBiSrCaCuO/Ag and AgIn: Wettability, AES and XPS studies

Two complementary approaches have been applied to the study of interfacial processes between PbBiSrCaCuO ceramic and silver or silver alloys. One is based on wettability measurements of molten silver (and silver–indium) using the sessile‐drop technique (at 950 °C) followed by AES analysis, and the other approach uses XPS/depth profiling of silver films on PbBiSrCaCuO annealed at 20–700 °C. Extensive interfacial interactions and diffusion processes occur in these systems, which lead to enhanced wettability. Such phenomena are correlated with previously reported electrical properties and are relevant to the optimization of metal/superconductor composite materials and device applications.