High- T _c superconducting Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O _x /Ag tape was successfully fabricated using a screen-printing method and a partial-melting process. A highly oriented layer structure was achieved and confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), pole-figure measurement and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The critical current density, J _c, of the tape at 77 K, 0 T, was about 20000 A cm^–2. High-temperature XRD was used to clarify the mechanism of the grain alignment. An aligned structure of the 2212 phase was originated from Bi-free compounds, such as (Sr,Ca)CuO₂ and (Sr,Ca)₂CuO₃ developed during a holding stage at 875°C.