Mixed Zn and O substitution of Co and Mn in ZnO

Journal Article · Thu Sep 15 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.84.125204· OSTI ID:21596877

Pereira, L M. C. ^[1]; Wahl, U; Correia, J G ^[2]; Decoster, S; Amorim, L M; Vantomme, A ^[1]; Silva, M R. da ^[3]; Araujo, J P ^[4]

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1. Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica and INPAC, K.U. Leuven, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium)
2. Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, UFA, P-2686-953 Sacavem (Portugal)
3. Centro de Fisica Nuclear da Universidade de Lisboa, P-1649-003 Lisboa (Portugal)
4. IFIMUP and IN-Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculdade de Ciencias da Universidade do Porto, P-4169-007 Porto (Portugal)

The physical properties of an impurity atom in a semiconductor are primarily determined by the lattice site it occupies. In general, this occupancy can be correctly predicted based on chemical intuition, but not always. We report on one such exception in the dilute magnetic semiconductors Co- and Mn-doped ZnO, experimentally determining the lattice location of Co and Mn using {beta}{sup -}-emission channeling from the decay of radioactive {sup 61}Co and {sup 56}Mn implanted at the ISOLDE facility at CERN. Surprisingly, in addition to the majority substituting for Zn, we find up to 18% (27%) of the Co (Mn) atoms in O sites, which is virtually unaffected by thermal annealing up to 900 deg. C. We discuss how this anion site configuration, which had never been considered before for any transition metal in any metal oxide material, may in fact have a low formation energy. This suggests a change in paradigm regarding transition-metal incorporation in ZnO and possibly other oxides and wide-gap semiconductors.

• OSTI ID: 21596877
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Journal Name: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 84; ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
ALLOYS
ANIONS
ANNEALING
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHANNELING
CHARGED PARTICLES
COBALT 61
COBALT ADDITIONS
COBALT ALLOYS
COBALT ISOTOPES
CONFIGURATION
DOPED MATERIALS
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
ENTHALPY
EXCEPTIONS
FORMATION HEAT
HEAT TREATMENTS
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
IMPURITIES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IONS
ISOTOPES
MAGNETIC SEMICONDUCTORS
MANGANESE 56
MANGANESE ADDITIONS
MANGANESE ALLOYS
MANGANESE ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
METALS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTION HEAT
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENT ALLOYS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ZINC COMPOUNDS
ZINC OXIDES