Mn-doped Cu2O thin films grown by rf magnetron sputtering

Cu2O has excellent optical properties and could be a good host semiconductor for dilute magnetic semiconductors because doped Cu2O is a p type and direct wide-band-gap semiconductor. In this work, Mn-doped Cu2O thin films were deposited on thermally oxidized silicon substrates by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction results show that highly (200) oriented (Mn0.06Cu0.94)2O films can be achieved at elevated substrate temperature. X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopy confirms that the valence of copper in the films is only +1, and no other valence states. The Mn-doped Cu2O films show primary paramagnetic behaviors above 25K. Very weak ferromagnetic property interspersed with paramagnetic phase appears near 5K. The high magnetic moment of 5.3μB per Mn ion and high resistivity suggest the valence state of manganese is mainly +1.