Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Zn _1-x Mn_xO Thin Films Deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Zn_1-x Mn_xO (x=0.01--0.1) thin films with a Curie temperature above 300K are deposited on Al₂O₃ (0001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet (UV)-visible transmission and Raman spectroscopy are employed to characterize the microstructural properties of these films.
Room temperature ferromagnetism is observed by superconducting quantum
interference device (SQUID). The results indicate that Mn doping introduces the incorporation of Mn²⁺ ions into the ZnO host matrix and the insertion of Mn²⁺ ions increases the lattice defects, which is correlated with the ferromagnetism of the obtained films. The doping concentration is also proven to be a crucial factor for obtaining highly ferromagnetic Zn_1-x Mn_xO films.