Preparation, Structure, and Photoemission Studies on the High Temperature Superconductor $YBa_2Cu_{3-x}Ni_xO_{7-{\delta}}$

$YBa_2Cu_{3-x}Ni_xO_{7-{\delta}}$, with x = 0.05, 0.2, 0.4, 0.7 and 1.0 had been prepared by the thermal decomposition of corresponding nitrates. Among them, the sample with x = 0.05 shows above-liquid-$N_2$ temperature superconductivity with $T_c$ of 88.7K. According to the X-ray diffraction analysis, its crystal symmetry was estimated as orthorhombic with the lattice parameters of a = 3.866${\AA}$, b = 3.893${\AA}$, c = 11.715${\AA}$. The chemical composition of the sample was determined by electron probe microanalysis and the chemical composition around its grain boundaries was carefully studied by the X-ray line scanning technique. From the observed binding energy of Ni-$2p_{3/2}$ orbital electron (B.E. = 853 eV) measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the valency state of nickel stabilized in $YBa_2Cu_{2.95}Ni_{0.05}O_{7-{\delta}}$ oxide lattice could be determined to be Ni(II).