1. Epitaxial Properties of Co-Doped ZnO Thin Films Grown by Plasma Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy
- Author
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Deng Jiang-Xia, Cao Qiang, Mei Liang-Mo, Yan Shi-Shen, Liu Guo-Lei, and Chen Yan-Xue
- Subjects
Materials science ,Reflection high-energy electron diffraction ,Electron diffraction ,Dopant ,Analytical chemistry ,General Physics and Astronomy ,Substrate (electronics) ,Thin film ,Epitaxy ,Single crystal ,Molecular beam epitaxy - Abstract
High quality Co-doped ZnO thin films are grown on single crystalline Al2O3(0001) and ZnO(0001) substrates by oxygen plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy at a relatively lower substrate temperature of 450°C. The epitaxial conditions are examined with in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and ex-situ high resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD). The epitaxial thin films are single crystal at film thickness smaller than 500 nm and nominal concentration of Co dopant up to 20%. It is indicated that the Co cation is incorporated into the ZnO matrix as Co2+ substituting Zn2+ ions. Atomic force microscopy shows smooth surfaces with rms roughness of 1.9 nm. Room-temperature magnetization measurements reveal that the Co-doped ZnO thin films are ferromagnetic with Curie temperatures TC above room temperature.
- Published
- 2007