Date of Award

6-2005

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Department of Engineering Physics

First Advisor

Yung Kee Yeo, PhD

Abstract

Material with both semiconductor and magnetic properties, which is commonly called a dilute magnetic semiconductor (DMS), will prove most useful in the fabrication of spintronic devices. In order to produce a DMS at above room temperature, transition metals (TMs) were implanted into host semiconductors of p-GaN, Al0.35Ga0.65N, or ZnO. Magnetic hysteresis measurements using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer show that some of the material combinations clearly exhibit ferromagnetism above room temperature. The most promising materials for creating spintronic devices using ion implantation are p-GaN:Mn, Al0.35Ga0.65N:Cr, and Fe-implanted ZnO nanotips on Al2O3. Temperature-dependent magnetization measurements con rm that indications of ferromagnetism are due to DMS behavior. Photo- and cathodoluminescence measurements show that implantation damage is recovered and the implanted TMs are incorporated into the semiconductor. As progress is made toward realizing practical spintronic devices, the work reported here will be useful for determining material combinations and implantation conditions that will yield the needed materials.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-DS-ENP-05-04

DTIC Accession Number

ADA436455

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