Cathodoluminescence and Magnetic Properties of Mn⁺ Implanted AlN

The III-V wide band gap semiconductors show the potential in applications for dilute magnetic semiconductors. AlN films are implanted with 20-keV Mn⁺ ions with a dose of 5 x 10¹⁶cm^-2. The cross section of as-implanted AlN are investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and the energy dispersive spectra. The result confirms that the implantation depth is about 100 nm. Cathodoluminescence measurements show that the main peak at 2.6 eV attributed to a donor-to-Mn²⁺ transition. It is argued that the Mn element in AlN can act as a p-type dopant peak at 2.07 eV. The magnetic measurement shows a transition temperature of 100 K in the implanted AlN annealed at 500°C for 30 min. Clear ferromagnetic hysteresis was observed at 77 K, with a coercive field of 212.7 Oe.