Synthesis and magnetic properties of Cu doped ZnO nanorods via radio frequency plasma deposition

Well-aligned Cu doped ZnO nanorods were synthesized by simple radio frequency plasma deposition in the absence of extra catalysts. The synthesized nanorods having a typical average diameter of about 60nm, were about 700nm in length and well aligned along the normal direction of the substrate. Magnetic measurements indicate that the nanorods are ferromagnetic at room temperature. The presence of considerable oxygen vacancies in the nanorods does allow possible defect mediated mechanisms (e.g., bound magnetic polarons) for mediating exchange coupling of the dopant Cu ions resulting in room temperature ferromagnetism.