Characterization of ZnO:Co particles prepared by hydrothermal method for room temperature magnetism

ZnO based diluted magnetic semiconductor particles (ZnO:Co) have been grown using a hydrothermal method with good crystallinity. The atomic percentage of Co presented in the specimen is about 0.01. Based on the x-ray diffraction and high-resolution transition electron, Co is found to be incorporated into ZnO lattice without evidence of obvious Co precipitates. However, from photoluminescence (PL) spectra in the range of 1.94 - 3.45 eV, a strong broad emission centered around 600 nm (2.07 eV) in the visible range as well as a relatively weak peak at 2.81 eV are observed, indicating the presence of Co impurities. Moreover, intrinsic emissions such as D X suggest that at least some Co have been doped into ZnO lattice, substituting for Zn2+ ions. The PL results further confirm the substitution of Zn2+ ions by Co, which leads to the changes of the electronic band structures. Magnetism could be realized at room temperature for the ZnO:Co nanoparticles under our experimental conditions although with low coercivity. The field-cooled and zero-field-cooled curves can be explained as a result of competition between the ferromagnetic and the antiferromagnetic ordering in the ZnO:Co nanoparticles. Combining the results from PL and magnetism characterization, it is reasonable to think that both doped Co in the ZnO lattice and Co impurities contribute to magnetism in ZnO:Co nanoparticles at room temperature. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.