Structural and thermal properties of InSb:Mn with MnSb clusters

Abstract

III-V family compounds doped with transition metals are promising materials for spintronic applications. Synthesis of an In0.9Mn0.1Sb ingot was thus carried out by direct fusion of the stoichiometric mixture of the constituent elements, followed by controlled cooling. The ingot obtained showed p-type conductivity. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images show MnSb clusters in an InSb matrix doped with Mn, a result like that found when the compound is obtained using other techniques. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) shows that the atomic ratio of the clusters is Mn/Sb = 0.896 ± 0.025, while the atomic ratio of the matrix is In/Sb = 1.013 ± 0.005. The indexation of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern at room temperature yielded a majority cubic phase of InSb doped with Mn, with a lattice parameter a = 6.474173 Å and cell unit volume V = 271.36Å3 , while non-indexed reflections are associated with the presence of MnSb rich in Sb. The phase transition temperatures were obtained from differential thermal analysis (DTA) measurements on powder samples in evacuated quartz capsules. It can be observed that fusion of the InSb matrix doped with Mn occurs between 485 °C and 528 °C, unlike the congruent fusion of the InSb at 527.7 °C; while the fusion of the Sb-rich MnSb clusters occurs between 494 °C and 509 °C. These temperatures are lower than those reported for the Sb-rich side of the phase diagram of the Mn-Sb binary system, which shows a decrease in the thermal stability of the compounds. The estimated fusion enthalpies for InSb:Mn and antimony-rich MnSb are, respectively, 4.8 Kcal/mol and 117.4 Kcal/mol.