X-ray absorption fine structure and first-principles calculations were employed to study the structure and ferromagnetism origin of Zn0.97Mn0.03O thin film grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The magnetization measurements indicate that this sample was ferromagnetic at room temperature. The Mn ions were located at the substitutional Zn sites as revealed by the Mn K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. Moreover, the O K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure analysis indicated the existence of numerous Zn vacancies. Based on first-principles calculations, the authors propose that the Zn vacancy could induce the room-temperature ferromagnetism in Mn-doped ZnO.

Zn Vacancy Induced Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Mn-Doped ZnO. Yan, W., Sun, Z., Liu, Q., Li, Z., Pan, Z., Wang, J., Wei, S., Wang, D., Zhou, Y., Zhang, X.: Applied Physics Letters, 2007, 91[6], 062113