Copyright © 2012. INOE 2000
Study of some ferromagnetic II-IV-V2 systems and of their interfaces with non-ferromagnetic semiconductors
Objectives
* Study the feasibility to grow stable ZnSnSb2: (Mn, Fe, Co) and MnGeSb2 with particular emphasis on the growth onto and engineering the interface properties between these ferromagnetic semiconductor thin films and the non-ferromagnetic substrate
* Investigation of the growth and properties of highly-transition-metal-doped thin films with room temperature ferromagnetism and compare the properties of polycrystalline and single crystalline thin films and the role of cation disorder for the two systems above mentioned.
* Characterise the structural and compositional integrity of the ferromagnetic semiconductor/non-ferromagnetic semiconductor interfaces of nano films of ZnSnSb2: (Mn, Fe, Co) and MnGeSb2 grown onto Si, GaAs and InAs substrates. Develop specific protocols for characterisation of FM chalcopyrite/non-ferromagnetic substrate interfaces.
* Determine and compare the properties of thin films with bulk crystals to generate new knowledge concerning the influence of interface effects, film thickness and grain size dependent phenomena.
* Investigate the effect of high doping with transition metal ions on the ferromagnetism (Curie Temperature, saturation magnetisation, coercive field, remnance, spin polarisation) in the ZnSnSb2 system and compare with MnGeSb2.
* Growth of multilayer structures FM/tunnelling barrier/FM to explore the potential of this new family of FM compounds for practical applications and characterise tunnel current spin polarisation as a function of growth conditions.
* Get an in depth understanding of the electronic and magnetic properties of the II-IV-V2 systems by using computer simulations.