Inhomogeneous distribution of manganese atoms in ferromagnetic ZnSnAs2:Mn thin films on InP revealed by three-dimensional atom probe investigation
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 characte...
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Veröffentlicht in: | Journal of applied physics 2015-05, Vol.117 (17) |
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Format: | Artikel |
Sprache: | eng |
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Zusammenfassung: | 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. |
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ISSN: | 0021-8979 1089-7550 |
DOI: | 10.1063/1.4914065 |