FERROMAGNETISM IN Fe-DOPED ZnO THIN FILMS

Zn1-xFexO (x = 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10, 0.12) thin films were grown on Si substrates using reactive magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction analyses show that the samples have wurtzite structures with the c-axis orientation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate that the Fe ions are in a +2 charge state in the films. Magnetization measurements indicate that room temperature ferromagnetism is present in films annealed in vacuum while films annealed in air were non-magnetic. The presence of oxygen vacancies in these films may mediate exchange coupling of the dopant ions, resulting in room temperature ferromagnetism.