Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Zn 1− x Mn x O Thin Films Deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Zn 1− x Mn x O ( x = 0.01–0.1) thin films with a Curie temperature above 300 K are deposited on Al 2 O 3 (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 Mn 2+ ions into the ZnO host matrix and the insertion of Mn 2+ 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 x O films.