An investigation was made of the effect of gold diffusion, upon the crystal structure and superconducting properties of Bi-2223 superconducting samples, using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, critical transition temperature, critical current density and room-temperature resistivity measurements. Doping of Bi-2223 was carried out by means of gold diffusion from an evaporated gold film on pellets during sintering. The temperature dependence of the Au diffusion at 500 to 830C was described by:

D = 5 x 10−4exp[−1.09(eV)/kT]

C.Terzioglu, O.Ozturk, I.Belenli: Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2009, 471[1-2], 142-6