Abstract
(Sn, Fe)-codoped In2O3 epitaxial films were deposited on (111)-oriented Y-stabilized ZrO2 substrates by pulsed laser deposition with constant Fe concentration and different Sn concentrations. The influence of Sn concentration on the crystal structure and properties of Fe-doped In2O3 ferromagnetic semiconductor films has been investigated systematically. Experimental results indicate that Sn doping can effectively reduce the surface roughness and suppresses breakup of the films into separated islands. At the same time, the optical band gap increases and the electrical properties improve correspondingly. However, although the carrier density increases dramatically with the Sn doping, no obvious change of the ferromagnetism is observed. This is explained by a modified bounded magnetic polaron model.
Highlights
In the past two decades, diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) have attracted considerable interests due to their novel physical properties and potential applications in spin-based devices [1]
A (111)-oriented single-crystal Y-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) substrate was chosen due to the fact that the (111) surface of In2O3 has the lowest energy amongst the low-index surfaces, which is beneficial to the epitaxial growth. (Sn, Fe)codoped In2O3 thin films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at a substrate temperature of 600°C
Crystal structure and surface morphology A typical X-ray diffraction pattern (θ-2θ scan) from the 5% Sn- and 5% Fe-doped In2O3 film grown on YSZ (111) substrate is shown in Figure 1a, and the spectra were plotted on a log scale to better discern any lowlevel secondary-phase peaks
Summary
In the past two decades, diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) have attracted considerable interests due to their novel physical properties and potential applications in spin-based devices [1]. Among various kinds of oxide DMSs, transition metal-doped In2O3 has attracted great attention because of its excellent optical and electric properties, and its room-temperature ferromagnetism has been observed in Fe-, Co-, Ni-, and Cr-doped In2O3 [6,7,8,9]. Among these elements, Fe doping is interesting and has attracted lots of attention because of the high solubility (as high as 20%) of Fe ions into In2O3 lattice and the high magnetic moment of the Fe3+ ion, which makes Fe-doped In2O3 a fascinating DMS. No obvious relation between the carrier density and the ferromagnetism of the films was observed, which was explained by a modified bounded magnetic polaron (BMP) model
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
