Abstract: Method of depositing a layer of oxide of at least one metal element on a curved surface of a textured metal substrate, said method comprising the following steps: (1) a layer of a precursor of at least one oxide of a metal is deposited using an organic solution of at least one precursor of said metal, this solution preferably having a viscosity, measured at the temperature of the method, of between 1 mPa s and 20 mPa s, and even more preferentially between 2 mPa s and 10 mPa s. (2) said layer of oxide precursor is left to dry, (3) heat treatment is carried out in order to pyrolyse said oxide precursor and to form the oxide, at least part of said heat treatment being carried out under a flow of reducing gas, said reducing gas preferably having a flow rate greater than 0.005 cm/s, preferentially between 0.012 cm/s and 0.1 cm/s, and even more preferentially between 0.04 cm/s and 0.08 cm/s.

Abstract: Method of depositing a buffer layer of epitaxial metal oxide on a functionalised surface of a textured metal substrate, said method comprising the following steps: (1) a layer is deposited of a precursor of an oxide of the type A2?xB2+xO7 where A represents a metal of valency 3 or a mixture of several of these metals, and B a metal of valency 4, and x is a number between ?0.1 and +0.1, from a solution of carboxylates of said metals A and B, (2) said layer of oxide precursor is left to dry, (3) heat treatment is carried out in order to pyrolyse said oxide precursor and to form the oxide, at least part of said heat treatment being carried out under a flow of reducing gas.

Abstract: Method of depositing a layer of oxide of at least one metal element on a curved surface of a textured metal substrate, said method comprising the following steps: (1) a layer of a precursor of at least one oxide of a metal is deposited using an organic solution of at least one precursor of said metal, this solution preferably having a viscosity, measured at the temperature of the method, of between 1 mPa s and 20 mPa s, and even more preferentially between 2 mPa s and 10 mPa s. (2) said layer of oxide precursor is left to dry, (3) heat treatment is carried out in order to pyrolyse said oxide precursor and to form the oxide, at least part of said heat treatment being carried out under a flow of reducing gas, said reducing gas preferably having a flow rate greater than 0.005 cm/s, preferentially between 0.012 cm/s and 0.1 cm/s, and even more preferentially between 0.04 cm/s and 0.08 cm/s.

Abstract: Method of depositing a buffer layer of epitaxial metal oxide on a functionalised surface of a textured metal substrate, said method comprising the following steps: (1) a layer is deposited of a precursor of an oxide of the type A2?xB2+xO7 where A represents a metal of valency 3 or a mixture of several of these metals, and B a metal of valency 4, and x is a number between ?0.1 and +0.1, from a solution of carboxylates of said metals A and B, (2) said layer of oxide precursor is left to dry, (3) heat treatment is carried out in order to pyrolyse said oxide precursor and to form the oxide, at least part of said heat treatment being carried out under a flow of reducing gas.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of preparing thick films of YBa2Cu3O7-y(y=0.08) having a critical current density of the order of 106 A/cm2. The inventive method comprises using an inert carrier gas to send an aerosol, obtained from an aqueous solution of precursors of yttrium nitrate, barium nitrate and copper nitrate (0.11=FY=0.28, 0.46=FBa=0.58, 0.2=FCu=0.37), having a concentration which is essentially equal to the concentration at saturation, to the surface of a heated substrate whereon it undergoes pyrolysis for between 1 and 5 nm at 800° C. and 870° C., followed by oxygen annealing at a temperature which is greater than the pyrolysis temperature by at least 10° C. and between 850° C. and 880° C. for between 1 and 2 hours, and subsequently at 450° C.-550° C. for between 0.5 and 1.5 hours.

Abstract: A method of producing a microcrystalline RBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.y structure where R denotes a lanthanide chosen from Y, La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu and where y has a value between 6.9 and 7 starts with a powder of composition [x(123) ; (1-x) (7BaO--18CuO] where (123) denotes the 123 phase of RBaB.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.y and where the value of x is between 0.01 and 1. The powder is compressed and sintered at a temperature below 920.degree. C. (the BaCuO.sub.2 and CuO binary eutectic temperature) to form a sample. The sample is placed on an oxide of the lanthanide R. The sample and its support undergo heat treatment enabling chemical reaction between the liquid part of the sample and its support whereby substantially all of the liquid part is consumed and highly regular 123 monocrystals are obtained. Cooling is applied. At least one annealing is carried out in pure oxygen at a temperature between 350.degree. C. and 500.degree. C. to obtain the orthorhombic form characteristic of RBa.sub.2 Cu.

Abstract: Sinterable, morphologically and chemically homogeneous stabilized zirconia fine powders, e.g., yttrium-stabilized zirconia powders, are prepared by heat treating aerosol droplets which comprise a mixed precursor solution of at least one inorganic zirconium salt and at least one inorganic salt of a zirconia-stabilizing element, said heat treating including (a) heating the aerosol droplets to a temperature of from 400.degree. to 500.degree. C. for a period of time of from 4 seconds to 2 hours, and thereafter (b) calcining such droplets at a temperature of from 650.degree. to 1,250.degree. C.