Growth of mirror-like Zn1−xMnxO diluted magnetic semiconductor thin films by r.f. magnetron sputtering method

The Zn1-xMnxO thin fdms were grown on Al2O3 (0001) substrates by an r.f. magnetron sputtering method. The fdm grown with employing buffer layer shows mirror-like surface, while the film grown without buffer layer shows the columnar-structured configuration. The mirrorlike Zn0.93Mn0.07O thin films have the single crystalline phase with (000l) orientation normal to the substrate surface and show the UV emission originated from the near band-edge-emission for the measurements of x-ray diffraction and photoluminescence, respectively. The mirror-like Zn0.93Mn0.07O film clearly showed a hysteresis loop, which is obvious evidence of ferromagnetism, and the Curie temperature was determined to be 68 K for the characterization of the temperature-dependent magnetization.