Evidence of cation vacancy induced room temperature ferromagnetism in Li-N codoped ZnO thin films

Journal Article · Mon Oct 31 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3657412· OSTI ID:22027797

Zhang, B Y ^[1]; Yao, B ^[1]; Li, Y F; Xing, G Z ^[2]; Liu, A M ^[3]; Zhang, Z Z; Li, B H; Zhao, D X; Shan, C X; Shen, D Z ^[1]; Wu, T ^[4]; Qin, X B ^[5]

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1. Key Laboratory of Excited State Process, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Changchun 130033 (China)
2. State Key Laboratory of Superhard Material, Department of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130023 (China)
3. School of Physics and Optoelectronic Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116023 (China)
4. Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371 (Singapore)
5. Key Laboratory of Nuclear Analysis Techniques, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

Room temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) was observed in Li-N codoped ZnO thin films [ZnO:(Li, N)] fabricated by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, and p-type ZnO:(Li, N) shows the strongest RTFM. Positron annihilation spectroscopy and low temperature photoluminescence measurements indicate that the RTFM in ZnO:(Li, N) is attributed to the defect complex related to V{sub Zn}, such as V{sub Zn} and Li{sub i}-N{sub O}-V{sub Zn} complex, well supported by first-principles calculations. The incorporation of N{sub O} can stabilize and enhance the RTFM of ZnO:(Li, N) by combining with Li{sub i} to form Li{sub i}-N{sub O} complex, which restrains the compensation of Li{sub i} for V{sub Zn} and makes the ZnO:(Li, N) conduct in p-type.

• OSTI ID: 22027797
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 99, Issue 18; Other Information: (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANNIHILATION
CATIONS
CRYSTAL GROWTH
CRYSTALS
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
FERROMAGNETISM
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
LITHIUM
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
NITROGEN
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE
PLASMA
POSITRONS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THIN FILMS
VACANCIES
ZINC OXIDES