Fabrication of patterned lines of high T.sub.c superconductors

A method for providing a patterned layer of high T.sub.c oxide superconductor material, comprising:

• coating a substrate with a solution containing the components desired in said high T.sub.c oxide superconductor, said components being in solution in the proper ratios, and drying to provide a layer on said substrate,
• locally converting selected areas of said layer to an oxide state while maintaining the cation components of said layer in the proper stoichiometric ratio,
• removing nonselected areas of said layer to leave a patterned layer of oxide material, and
• producing a high T.sub.c superconducting state in said patterned layer of oxide material.

A method for providing a patterned layer of oxide material that is a precursor to a high T.sub.c oxide superconductor, comprising the following steps:

• preparing a solution containing the cation components of said high T.sub.c oxide superconductor, said cation components being in said solution in the proper stoichiometric amounts required in said high T.sub.c oxide superconductor,
• coating said solution onto a substrate to produce a coated layer thereon,
• irradiating selected areas of said coated layer with an energy beam to create regions having chemical properties different than those of the surrounding nonirradiated regions, said irradiated regions being comprised of an oxide precursor to said high T.sub.c oxide material, said energy beam having an energy less than that which would change said proper stoichiometric amounts of said cation components, and
• dissolving said nonirradiated regions to remove them from said layer, thereby leaving a patterned layer of oxide material which is a precursor to said high T.sub.c oxide superconductor.

A method for providing a patterned layer of high T.sub.c copper oxide superconductor, comprising:

• preparing a solution containing the components of said high T.sub.c oxide superconductor, said components being present in said solution in the amounts required in said high T.sub.c copper oxide superconductor,
• spraying said solution onto a substrate to provide a coated layer thereon,
• irradiating selected areas of said coated layer with an energy beam to convert said irradiated areas to an intermediate oxide state, the energy and scanning rate of said energy beam being chosen to maintain the relative amounts of the cation components in said layer,
• dissolving the nonirradiated areas of said coated layer to remove them, leaving a patterned layer of oxide material, and
• annealing said patterned layer of oxide material in an oxygen atmosphere to produce a high T.sub.c superconductivity state, said oxide material being a copper oxide.