Ferromagnetism in Mn and Sb co-doped ZnO films

Zn0.99Mn0.01O and Zn0.985(Mn0.01,Sb0.005)O thin films were prepared on sapphire(0001) by reactive radio-frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering. Zn0.99Mn0.01O showed no obvious ferromagnetic behavior while Zn0.985(Mn0.01, Sb0.005)O exhibited robust ferromagnetic signals with a saturation magnetization of 0.92 μB/Mn2+, and Zn0.985(Mn0.01, Sb0.005)O film grown in an oxygen rich condition exhibited a larger saturation magnetization of 1.76 μB/Mn2+. The results are most consistent with the bound magnetic polaron model, in which localized p-type defects mediate the ferromagnetic ordering.