Ion gettering effect has been observed in high‐temperature superconducting YBa2Cu3O7material. Silicon ions were implanted into the material and subsequent high‐temperature annealing produced ion movement from a low concentration region to a higher concentration region where the damage of the crystal structure is severe. This gettering effect could be used to make a superconductor‐nonsuperconductor‐superconductor trilayer structure within a single YBCO film. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.