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YBCO films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition from nanocrystalline targets doped with different concentrations of BaZrO3 ranging from c = 0.9 to 9.0wt%. The critical temperature of the films decreases almost linearly with increasing BaZrO3 content whereas the critical current density shows a maximum near 3.9wt%. In comparison with undoped YBCO films the accommodation field B* is considerably enhanced and the critical current density is improved in high fields in the films doped with BaZrO3, e.g. for c = 3.9 wt% by factor of 4.5 in a field of 5T at 5K. In the doped films the BaZrO3 particles grow epiaxially with YBCO. Transmission electron microscopy results show that the density of the BaZrO3 particles increases with increasing doping but the particle size remains practically the same (5–10nm).

The effect of annealing temperature for oxygenation (Toxg) on grain boundary (GB) segregation and the distribution of calcium in the bulk was studied for Dy123/Caz(z= 0, 0.2) ceramics for Toxg= 480 and 550?°C, where the first case corresponds to full oxygenation and the second to a little oxygen deficiency. Energy selective x-ray analysis techniques (with an ultra-fine probe) in field emission transmission electron microscopy were used for the characterization of the microstructure. It was found that Ca segregates at GBs in both cases, but the extent of such segregation strongly depends on Toxg. The GB segregation for Toxg= 550?°C was much lower than for 480?°C. For Toxg= 480?°C, the calcium concentration was 1.5-3.5 times higher than in the bulk in 60% of the GBs, and segregation was absent in 40% of the GBs. For Toxg= 550?°C, only 25% of the GBs showed Ca segregation, with a concentration 1.2-1.3 times exceeding that in the bulk. In both cases, the width of the segregation profile was about 10 nm. The change in Toxgalso affected the distribution of Ca in the bulk. In this way, the changes in the superconducting properties were directly correlated to the microstructure.