CHAPTER 5

HTS CONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY

Jeffrey O. Willis

INTRODUCTION

High technology applications are based on the fundamental components from which devices are constructed. For the electronics industry, the fundamental components are the transistor and the integrated circuit, both based on silicon semiconductor technology. For high temperature superconductor (HTS) devices, such as the magnets, generators, and power transmission lines discussed in earlier chapters, the fundamental components are the conductors or wires that carry electrical current in the devices. The steady and significant progress that has been achieved in the field of HTS conductors is highlighted here in terms of the major conductor materials and manufacturing technologies that are being pursued in Japan, Germany, and the United States, along with observations on the sizes and future directions of the conductor programs in these countries.