Chemical Composition and Microstructure of Magnetically Melt-Textured Bi₂Sr₂Ca_0.8Dy_0.2Cu₂O_8-y

Dysprosium-doped Bi-based 2212 materials have been synthesized in the presence of a magnetic field, applied perpendicularly to the lateral face of a cylinder, by a melt-textured growth process. Thick (well oriented) layers of different chemical composition have been observed. A dysprosium-doped 2212 phase (the expected D phase) and a dysprosium-free bismuth-rich and strontium-deficient 2212 phase have been found. It is argued that the latter is a so-called M phase. Other impurity phases have been observed, connected with both 2212-type layers. A novel aspect of this work is the calcium solubility at the strontium site in the 2201 structure, and inversely the strontium solubility at the calcium site in the 8250 structure.