Low temperature growth of ZnMnO: A way to avoid inclusions of foreign phases and spinodal decomposition

Abstract

The authors demonstrate herein that by lowering of a growth temperature they can obtain ZnMnO layers with homogeneous Mn distribution, which are free of Mn accumulations and inclusions of foreign phases due to other Mn oxides. These layers (with low Mn content fractions) show paramagnetic phase in room temperature magnetization measurements. Contribution of a high temperature ferromagnetic phase is missing, which the authors relate to blocking of spinodal decomposition of ZnMnO under controlled growth conditions of atomic layer deposition.