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Structural, optical and magnetic properties of Gd-doped ZnO thin films for spintronics applications

E. R. SHAABAN1,* , GH. ABBADYb2, EL SAYED YOUSEF3,4, GOMAA A. M. ALI5,6, SAFWAT A. MAHMOUD7, N. AFIFY2

Affiliation

  1. Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assiut 71524, Egypt
  2. Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut,71516, Egypt
  3. Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha 61413, P. O. Box 9004, Saudi Arabia
  4. Physics Dep., Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P. O. Box 9004, Abha, Saudi Arabia
  5. Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, 71524, Egypt
  6. Faculty of Industrial Sciences & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Gambang, 26300 Kuantan, Malaysia
  7. Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Northern Border University, Arar 91431, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Different compositions of the bulk sample of Zn1-xGdxO (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.1) are fabricated using co-precipitation technique. The current study investigates the structural, optical and magnetic properties of ZnO thin films doped by Gd. The desired films were deposited onto highly-clean glass substrates by electron beam technique. X-ray diffraction revealed the formation of hexagonal wurtzite single phase of ZnO and having intense (002) peak with a peak shift towards lower angle. The crystallite size of the films was found to be decreased with increasing Gd content. The effect of Gd dopant on the optical and magnetic properties of the prepared thin films was investigated. The optical energy gap decreases from 3.27 to 3.11 eV with increasing Gd content. In addition, ferromagnetism initially increases up to optimal Gd concentration at 0.06 after that the ferromagnetism decreases with increasing Gd concentration (at 0.08 and 0.1). The changes in the optical and magnetic properties of the prepared films were discussed based on the structural modification, which, further, enhances upon Gd-doping..

Keywords

Zn1-xGdxO thin films, Structure Parameters, Optical, Energy gap, Ferromagnetism.

Citation

E. R. SHAABAN, GH. ABBADYb, EL SAYED YOUSEF, GOMAA A. M. ALI, SAFWAT A. MAHMOUD, N. AFIFY, Structural, optical and magnetic properties of Gd-doped ZnO thin films for spintronics applications, Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials - Rapid Communications, 13, 3-4, March-April 2019, pp.235-242 (2019).

Submitted at: Aug. 31, 2018

Accepted at: April 8, 2019