Room-temperature ferromagnetism in (Ga, Mn)N thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Synthesis and magnetic properties of the diluted magnetic semiconductor (Ga, Mn)N grown by pulsed laser deposition have been studied. Thin films were grown in molecular nitrogen using GaN ceramic targets which were doped with either 2% or 10% Mn. The films were deposited both on Si(100) and Al2O3(0001) substrates at 750-900 degreesC. X-ray diffraction studies showed that films grown on sapphire substrates were highly oriented normal to the substrate. The films are ferromagnetic at room temperature with a moment of up to 1.6 mu(B) per Mn. Deposition conditions required to prevent phase separation into binary Mn-N and Mn-Ga phases are discussed. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.