Abstract: A composite material comprising a bulky substrate of a Y-series 123 metal oxide crystal, and at least one layer provided on a surface of the substrate and formed of a crystal of a Y-series 123 metal oxide. The substrate may be produced by immersing a seed material in a liquid phase which comprises components constituting the metal oxide. The liquid phase contains a solid phase located at a position different from the position at which the seed material contacts the liquid phase. The solid phase provides the liquid phase with solutes which constitute the Y-series 123 metal oxide so that the solutes are transported to the position at which the seed material and the liquid phase contact, thereby permitting the Y-series 123 metal oxide to grow on the seed material as primary crystals and to obtain the bulky substrate. The layer of a Y-series 123 metal oxide may be formed on the substrate by a sputtering method, a vacuum deposition method, a laser abrasion method, a CVD method or a liquid phase epitaxy method.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for growing a superconductive film on a superconductive substrate in order to produce a bulk single crystal. According to a preferred embodiment, an oxide superconductive film of a material which is the same or similar to the substrate material is epitaxially grown at a temperature between 450.degree. C. and 800.degree. C. so that the film and substrate have the same lattice orientations. According to the present invention, problems associated with conventional films having non-superconductor substrates (e.g., MgO and SrTiO.sub.3) are avoided.

Abstract: The generation of a reaction product is suppressed between a metallic substrate and plasma in depositing a ceramic intermediate layer on the metallic substrate in a process for depositing an oxide film on the metallic substrate by thermal plasma flash evaporation method. Thus, there is no reaction phase in the ceramic intermediate layer and the metallic substrate, and an intermediated buffer layer of only oxide ceramic is deposited on a flat surface of the metallic substrate. The intermediate ceramic layer is deposited in inert atmosphere of a low oxygen concentration at a temperature of less than 600.degree. C. for the metallic substrate. Then, a superconducting thin film is deposited on the ceramic intermediate layer.

Abstract: A method of pulling a crystal of a metal oxide is disclosed, in which the growth of the crystal is performed in a liquid phase having a composition which is different from the metal oxide and which contains components constituting the metal oxide. The liquid phase is in contact with a solid phase located at a position separated from the position at which the crystal of the metal oxide grows. The solid phase has a composition different from that of the metal oxide and supplies components constituting the metal oxide to the liquid phase.

Abstract: A Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system superconducting thin film formed on a substrate comprising [110] single crystals of an ABO.sub.3 type oxide having a perovskite structure, in which a (119) face is selectively grown relative to a substrate surface. The film is formed on the substrate by chemical vapor deposition process. A method of manufacturing a BiSrCaCuO system superconducting film in which an a-axis is oriented preferentially relative to the surface of a substrate comprising MgO (100) single crystals, wherein the chemical composition ratio (Sr+Ca+Cu)/Bi of the BiSrCaCuO system superconducting film is made not less than 3.5. A Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system superconducting thin film formed on a substrate comprising MgO [110] single crystals, in which a (110) face is selectively grown to the substrate surface. The film is formed on the substrate by a chemical vapor deposition process.

Abstract: A Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O-type superconductive film is formed on an MgO (100) single crystal substrate by the chemical vapor deposition method at a film formation speed of 780.degree. C. or less and a film formation speed of 1.0 nm/min or more, and exhibits an a-axis or b-axis preferential growth with respect to the substrate surface.