Room temperature ferromagnetism in laser ablated Ni-doped In2O3 thin films

Abstract

Ni-doped In2O3 thin films were fabricated by laser ablation on sapphire and MgO substrates under various conditions. All Ni:In2O3 films are well-crystallized, single phase, and show clear evidences of room temperature ferromagnetism (FM). Ni atoms were well substituted for In atoms, and distributed very uniformly over the whole thickness of the films. However, the films grown at 550 °C have the Ni concentration exactly the same as in the synthesized target, and as the results, they have the best crystallinity and the largest magnetic moment (maximum about 0.7μB∕Ni). The observed FM in this type of wide-band gap semiconductors has proved that by applying appropriate growth conditions, doping few percent of Ni into In2O3 could indeed result in a potential magnetic material.