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Inhomogeneous distribution of manganese atoms in ferromagnetic ZnSnAs2:Mn thin films on InP revealed by three-dimensional atom probe investigation

Authors :
Takahiro Kato
Naotaka Uchitomi
Hiroaki Inoue
Hideyuki Toyota
Hiroshi Uchida
Source :
Journal of Applied Physics. 117:17B905
Publication Year :
2015
Publisher :
AIP Publishing, 2015.

Abstract

Atomic-scale Mn distributions in ferromagnetic ZnSnAs2:Mn thin films grown on InP substrates have been studied by applying three-dimensional atom probe (3DAP) microscopy. It is found that Mn atoms in cross-sectional 3DAP maps show the presence of inhomogeneities in Mn distribution, which is characteristic patterns of a spinoidal decomposition phase with slightly high and low concentration regions. The high Mn concentration regions are expected to be coherently clustered MnAs in the zinc-blende structure, resulting in the formation of Mn-As random connecting patterns. The origin of room-temperature ferromagnetism in ZnSnAs2:Mn on InP can be well explained by the formation of atomic-scale magnetic clustering by spinoidal decomposition without breaking the continuity of the zinc-blende structure, which has been suggested by previous theoretical works. The lattice-matching between magnetic epi-layers and substrates should be one of the most important factors to avoid the formation of secondary hexagonal MnAs phase precipitates in preparing ferromagnetic semiconductor thin films.

Details

ISSN :
10897550 and 00218979
Volume :
117
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of Applied Physics
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........8ae4bba5cfbdb05c50ea5af0eb5e2cbe
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4914065