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Synthesis and structural study of Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors by electrodeposition

Mariola Tortosa ,  Miguel A. Mollar ,  Bernabé Marí Soucase 

Universitat Politčcnica de Valčncia (UPV-Spain), Camí de Vera s/n, Valčncia 46022, Spain

Abstract

Spintronics has attracted great attention since the discovery of a giant magneto-resistance in magnetic multilayers. Spintronic devices combine the advantages of magnetic materials and semiconductors and are expected to be non-volatile, versatile, fast and capable of simultaneous data storage and processing, while at the same time, consuming less energy. Among the different classes of material systems the diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) have received much attention because of the great advantage of integrating with conventional semiconductor materials and devices and the challenge is to increase their Curie temperatures for room temperature operation.

DMS are semiconductor compounds in which a few fractions of host elements are replaced by magnetic ions. Different methods for synthesizing DMS thin films have been reported in literature to obtain these magnetic materials. In this work we will present how electrodeposition is an effective method to obtain magnetic ternary oxide thin films. This technique presents some interesting advantages as the deposition occurs at low temperature and at atmospheric pressure, it is a low-cost method with requires only simple apparatus, the film thickness can be directly monitored by the charge consumed during the deposition process. The unique restriction is that conducting substrates can be used.

For some oxides, such as ZnO and the magnetic materials derived from it, Zn1-xCoxO and Zn1-xMnxO the compound is directly electrodeposited in a crystalline form and present high crystal quality. In this work, Zn1-xCoxO and Zn1-xMnxO thin films were synthesized by means of the cathodic electrodeposition technique and the influences of Co and Mn contents on the structural and optical characterizations of Zn1-xCoxO and Zn1-xMnxO thin films were discussed and compared in detail.

 

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Related papers

Presentation: Oral at E-MRS Fall Meeting 2007, Symposium B, by Bernabé Marí Soucase
See On-line Journal of E-MRS Fall Meeting 2007

Submitted: 2007-01-16 18:51
Revised:   2009-06-07 00:44