Impact of Sulfur Concentration on the Magnetic and Electrical Characteristics of ZnMnO Thin Films

  • Azamat O. Arslanov National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek, Tashkent, Uzbekistan https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4817-8770
  • Shavkat U. Yuldashev National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek, Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Center of Nanotechnology Development, National university of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2187-5960
  • Younghae Kwon Dongguk University, Seoul, South Korea
  • Ahn Il-Ho Dongguk University, Seoul, South Korea
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26565/2312-4334-2024-4-30
Keywords: Diluted magnetic semiconductors, Mn-doped p-type ZnO, Isovalent anion alloying, ZnO-ZnS alloy, Sulfur-doped ZnMnO, Resistivity anomaly, Valence band (VB) offset bowing, Defined hysteresis loop, Critical point, Curie temperature

Abstract

Influence of the sulfur doping on the structural, optical, electrical and magnetic properties of ZnMnO thin films fabricated using the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique was investigated. Our study reveals that increasing sulfur content leads to a noticeable shift in the band gap energy towards the red spectrum, an indicator of altered electronic states and potential for enhanced spintronic functionalities. The strong reduction in the band gap for the sulfur doped ZnMnO alloys is the result of the upward shift of the valence-band edge. As a result, the room temperature bandgap of ZnMnO1-xSx alloys can be tuned from 3.2 eV to 2.97 eV for x ≤ 0.2. The observed large bowing in the composition dependence of the energy bandgap arises from the anticrossing interactions between the valence-band of ZnO and the localized sulfur level above the ZnMnO valence-band maximum. The doping process significantly modifies the ferromagnetic properties, with an observed increase in Curie temperature correlating with higher sulfur concentrations. These changes are attributed to the increased free holes concentration, which facilitates a more robust exchange interaction between the magnetic ions. Additionally, the structural assessments via scanning electron microscopy confirm the uniform integration of sulfur into the ZnMnO matrix, resulting in distinct nanocrystalline formations. This study contributes to the understanding of doping mechanisms in semiconductor materials, especially for highly mismatched alloys, where the anions are partially substituted with isovalent atoms of considerably different size and/or electronegativity, offering insights into the tunability of their magnetic and electronic properties for potential future applications in spintronic devices.

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Published
2024-12-08
Cited
How to Cite
Arslanov, A. O., Yuldashev, S. U., Kwon, Y., & Il-Ho, A. (2024). Impact of Sulfur Concentration on the Magnetic and Electrical Characteristics of ZnMnO Thin Films. East European Journal of Physics, (4), 284-288. https://doi.org/10.26565/2312-4334-2024-4-30
Issue
No. 4 (2024): East European Journal of Physics
Section
Original Papers

Copyright (c) 2024 Azamat O. Arslanov, Shavkat U. Yuldashev, Younghae Kwon, Ahn Il-Ho

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