Abstract: An oxide superconductor includes a textured superconducting material including an array of defects with a neutron-fissionable element, or with at least one of the following chemical elements: uranium-238, Nd, Mn, Re, Th, Sm, V, and Ta. The array of defects is dispersed throughout the superconducting material. The superconducting material may be the RE1Ba2Cu3O7−&dgr; compound, wherein RE=Y, Nd, La, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu; the Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox, the (Bi, Pb)2Sr2CaCu2Ox, Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox or (Bi, Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox compound; the Tl2Ca1.5BaCu2Ox or Tl2Ca2Ba2Cu3Ox compound; or a compound involving substitution such as the Nd1+xBa2−xCu3Ox compounds. The neutron-fissionable element may be uranium-235. The oxide superconductor may include additional defects created by fission.

Abstract: A barrier layer for a silicon containing substrate comprises an alkaline earth aluminosilcate and an additive component capable of forming a reaction product with silica.

Abstract: An implant patterned superconductive device and a method for indirect implant-patterning of oxide superconducting materials is provided. The method forms a device having an oxide superconducting layer on a substrate, deposits a passivation layer atop the oxide superconducting layer, and implants chemical impurities in a selected portion of the superconducting layer through the passivation layer. This modifies the conductivity of the selected portion of the oxide superconducting layer and electrically isolates the selected portion from the non-selected portion of the oxide superconducting layer. The passivation layer is made of a material less susceptible to implant damage than the oxide superconducting layer to allow inhibition of the oxide superconducting layer while protecting the crystalline structure of the top surface of the oxide superconducting layer and keeping it planarized.

Abstract: A low thermal conductivity heat barrier composition, particularly for a superalloy article, is disclosed comprising a zirconia base and a dysprosium oxide having the dual function of stabilizing the zirconia and reducing the thermal conductivity thereof. Optionally, the composition also comprises a metal oxide containing a quadrivalent metallic ion selected from the group consisting of hafnium dioxide, cerium dioxide, uranium dioxide, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: A dielectric ceramic which exhibits small variation in dielectric constant, allows use of a base metal, can be fired in a reducing atmosphere and which is suitable for constituting a dielectric ceramic layer for, e.g., a laminated ceramic capacitor is obtained by firing barium titanate powder in which the c-axis/a-axis ratio in the perovskite structure is about 1.000 or more and less than about 1.003 and the amount of OH groups in the crystal lattice is about 2.0 wt. % or less. The barium titanate powder starting material preferably has a maximum particle size of about 0.3 &mgr;m or less and an average particle size of about 0.05-0.15 &mgr;m. Each particle of the barium titanate powder preferably comprises a low-crystallinity portion and a high-crystallinity portion, the diameter of the low-crystallinity portion being about 0.5 times or more the particle size of the powder.