Using magnetron sputtering, a spatial composition spread approach was applied successfully to obtain 48-member libraries of the Bi2Sr2YxCa1-xCu2O8+delta (0.5 <= x <= 1) cuprate superconducting system. The libraries of each system were deposited onto (1 0 0) single crystal MgO, mounted on a water cooled rotating table, using two targets: the antiferromagnetic insulator Bi2Sr2YCu2O8+delta (P = 98 W rf) and the hole doped superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta (P = 44 W dc). A low chamber pressure of 0.81 mTorr argon was used to reduce scattering by the process gas. To minimize oxygen resputtering a substrate bias of -20 V was used, as well as a process gas free of oxygen. A rapid thermal processor was used to post-anneal the amorphous deposited films. A step annealing regime was used, with a ramp rate of 5 degrees C/s for heating and cooling, with a first plateau at 780 degrees C held for 200 s, and a second at 875 degrees C held for 480 s. X-ray diffraction reveals that the films develop crystalline order with the c-axis lattice parameter contracting linearly from 30.55 angstrom (x = 0.5) to 30.24 angstrom (x = 1.0) with increasing Y-content, consistent with bulk values. The crystallized films are polycrystalline, developing preferred orientation (c-axis parallel to the substrate) for thinner members of the library. There is a change of 0.01 in doping per library member which will enable further studies to densely map phase space. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.