Structural and magnetic properties of polycrystalline Zn1-xMnxO films synthesized on glass and p-type Si substrates using Sol-Gel technique

Abstract

The structure and magnetization of polycrystalline Zn1-xMnxO3 films (0 <= x <= 0.1) grown on glass and Si substrates using Sol-Gel technique have been studied. The average grain sizes of between 20 and 30 nm for nano-sphere structured polycrystalline samples grown on the glass substrate have been obtained in a result of X-ray diffraction analysis. Changes in the structural parameters by the increase in Mn content have been observed. Average grain sizes and porosities of the samples have been obtained from SEM studies. It has been revealed that the films grown on glass substrates did not exhibit ferromagnetic order even after thermal treatment. On the contrary, Zn1-xMnxO3 films with Mn contents of x=0.05 and 0.10 grown on Si substrate exhibited ferromagnetic properties after thermal annealing. This phenomenon has been interpreted on the base of the existence of carrier mediated magnetic ordering in Zn1-xMnxO3 diluted magnetic semiconductors. In a result, a procedure of thermal treatment is suggested for achieving of the room temperature ferromagnetism in Mn doped ZnO films synthesized on p-type Si substrates for their applications as magnetic semiconductor material in spintronic devices.