Tape manufacturing system

• US 7,805,173 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Superpower, Inc. (Furukawa Electric Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Superpower, Inc. (Furukawa Electric Company Limited)
• Inventors: Reeves, Jodi L., Qiao, Yunfei
• Primary Examiner(s): Silverman; Stanley
• Assistant Examiner(s): VIJAYAKUMAR, KALLAMBELLA M
• Application Number:
  US11/560,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20070093376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 428/698, 428701-702, 505/230, 505/239
• US Class Current: 505/230
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/303 using photoelectric detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8901 Optical details; Scanning details per se G02B

Abstract

A tape manufacturing system and a tape-surface-inspection unit are disclosed. The tape-surface-inspection unit is capable of continuously characterizing the surface of a non-transparent tape that is usable with or without a tape manufacturing system. The tape-surface-inspection unit includes a surface illuminator, an imager, an image processor, a tape guide, and, optionally, an indexer. The surface illuminator provides a tape surface located by the tape guide in a manner that allows the imager to capture images for characterization by the image processor. The indexer facilitates a correlation of locations along the tape and a characterization of the locations on the tape. The tape manufacturing system, in addition to at least one tape-surface-inspection unit, includes a tape-processing unit, a tape handler, and a controller.

Claims

1. A non-transparent tape useable as substrate in the manufacture of a high temperature superconducting conductor, said non-transparent tape comprising:

(a) a surface finish of about 0.1 to about 10 nm RMS; and

(b) a surface defect area fraction of about 0.5% to about 10%.

2. A non-transparent tape according to claim 1 wherein the tape surface is substantially free of particulates or contamination materials.

3. A non-transparent tape according to claim 1 wherein the surface roughness is measured by means of an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM).

4. A non-transparent tape according to claim 1 wherein the surface roughness is measured by means of laser.

5. A non-transparent tape according to claim 2 wherein the area fraction of defects is quantified by an image processing software.

6. A non-transparent tape according to claim 1, wherein said tape is provided in the form of substrate of a high temperature superconducting conductor, the substrate having a high-temperature superconducting layer disposed thereon.

7. A high temperature superconductor (HTS) coated conductor comprising:

a non-transparent tape substrate comprising a surface finish of about 0.1 to about 10 nm RMS, and a surface defect area fraction of about 0.5% to about 10%;

a high temperature superconductor layer overlying the non-transparent tape substrate.

8. The high temperature superconductor (HTS) coated conductor of claim 7, further comprising an epitaxial layer provided between the high temperature superconductor layer and the non-transparent tape substrate.