Presentation Information
[WB3-01-INV]Large-Scale Manufacturing of Fusion-Grade REBCO Coated Conductors via Optimized PLD : Performance Enhancement and Cost-Reduction Strategies at SuNAM
*SeungHyun Moon1 (1. SuNAM Co. Ltd. (Korea))
Keywords:
Coated Conductor,PLD,RCE-DR,Large scale
SuNAM has advanced coated conductor (CC) production beyond the capabilities of its proprietary high-throughput Reactive Co-evaporation–Deposition and Reaction (RCE-DR) process to meet the stringent in-field performance demands of next-generation fusion magnets. While RCE-DR, enhanced with artificial pinning centers, delivers exceptional performance for grid-based applications, it falls short of the Ic requirements under multi-tesla fields at cryogenic temperatures. To address this gap, we have implemented and systematically optimized a Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) platform tailored for industrial-scale fabrication of REBa2Cu3O7-δ (REBCO) CCs. Our optimization roadmap integrates process parameter refinement, advanced in-situ monitoring, and feedback from microstructural characterization techniques such as high-resolution TEM, enabling control over nanoscale defect landscapes to maximize flux pinning efficiency. Length-uniformity of Ic and engineering current density (Je) performance has been achieved over extended tape lengths, meeting preliminary fusion-grade benchmarks. In parallel, cost-reduction measures—wider-web processing, machine learning-based process automation, and streamlined post-processing—are being deployed to ensure economic viability for both high-field and emerging commercial markets. This work positions SuNAM’s PLD-based CC production pipeline for scaling to hundreds of kilometers annually, providing a competitive path toward reliable, high-performance superconducting tape supply for fusion reactors, accelerator magnets, and advanced NMR systems.
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (RS-2022-NR068578). This research was financially supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE), Korea, under the “Global Industrial Technology Cooperation Center (GITCC) program” supervised by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT). (Task No. P0028337)
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (RS-2022-NR068578). This research was financially supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE), Korea, under the “Global Industrial Technology Cooperation Center (GITCC) program” supervised by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT). (Task No. P0028337)