Thin Zn1 – xMnxO Films (x = 1–4 at %) by Chemical Bath Deposition: Influence of Dopant Concentration

Thin films of Zn 1– x Mn x O ( x = 1–4 at %) were applied onto a glass substrate by low-cost chemical bath deposition (CBD). The films were characterized by XRD, UV–VIS absorption spectra, SEM, and vibrating sample magnetometry—with special emphasis on the influence of dopant concentration x . Structural and optical properties of deposited films imply that the Mn 2+ ions substituted Zn 2+ ions without changing the wurtzite structure of ZnO. No impurity phases were detected in XRD patterns. The band gap in ZnO was found to increase with increasing x . Magnetic measurements showed that Mn-doped ZnO samples exhibited ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature, which tentatively was associated with the replacement of Zn 2+ ions by Mn 2+ ions in the ZnO lattice.