Magnetic properties of Mn doped ZnO tetrapod structures

ZnO tetrapod nanostructures were prepared by evaporating Zn metal under humid argon flow. After the fabrication, Mn diffusion doping was performed at two different temperatures (600 and 800 degreesC). The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray fluorescence, x-ray diffraction (XRD), superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer, and photoluminescence. Diffusion doping resulted in the increase of the size of tetrapods, but no new peaks were found in XRD spectrum. Mn doped ZnO tetrapod structures were found to be ferromagnetic with Curie temperature similar to50 K, and showed large coercive field (similar to3500 Oe for 800 degreesC sample, similar to5500 Oe for 600 degreesC sample). (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.