Cathodoluminescence and room temperature ferromagnetism of Mn-doped ZnO nanorod arrays grown by chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

Mn-doped ZnO nanorods are prepared by a chemical vapor deposition method using zinc and MnO2 powders as source materials of Zn and Mn, respectively. Cathodoluminescence (CL) characterization indicates that the Mn-doped ZnO nanorods grown at different growth temperatures have different oxygen vacancy concentrations. Room temperature ferromagnetism with a saturation magnetization of 0.87μB∕Mn has been observed in Mn-doped ZnO nanorods grown at 650°C, in which moderate oxygen vacancy concentration is observed by CL characterization. It is also found that oxygen vacancies play an important role in the appearance of room temperature ferromagnetism in Mn-doped ZnO nanorods.