Magnetic phases in polycrystalline Si1−xMnx semiconductors grown by MBE

Abstract

Polycrystalline Si1−xMnx semiconductor thin films were grown on SiO2/(100)Si substrates at 400°C using a molecular beam epitaxy, and their magnetic and electrical properties have been studied. The polycrystalline Si1−xMnx semiconductor has p-type carriers and electrical resistivity is 2.0×10−4–1.3×10−3Ωcm at room temperature. Saturation magnetization increases with Mn concentration and reaches a maximum of 12.8emu/cm3 at Mn 28.8at%. Magnetization characteristics and X-ray analysis reveal the ferromagnetic SiMn phase and the anti-ferromagnetic Si3Mn5 phase are the major magnetic phases formed in the polycrystalline Si1−xMnx semiconductors.