Ion beam analysis of GdN thin films with a protective GaN capping layer

Rare-earth nitrides represent an interesting class of matrials that exhibit a range of electronic and magnetic properties. Recent LSD+SIC calculations have predicted magnetic properties covering paramagnetic, ferromagnetic, and antiferromagnetic, and elecronic states including metallic, semiconducting, or insulating, and a number exhibit half-metallicity. Due to this wide variety of predicted properties these materials are of considerable interest as potential sources of spin-polarised current for novel devices. Although numerous studies of the rare-earth nitrides are present in the literature, there is still much to be learned about them. The most well studied of these nitrides is GdN, a ferromagnet with the highest Curie temperature of the series. The magnetic properties in particular have been extensively studied, but often the presence of impurities such as O could not be ruled out, and studies have shown that N vacancies or O impurities significantly influence the magnetic quality of GdN. The rare-earth nitrides are sensitive to water vapour and react rapidly upon exposure to atmosphere, so it is an ongoing challenge to produce GdN of a sufficient purity to make characterising its properties an achievable task. In particular the electrical and optical properties of stoichiometric GdN have not both been established reliably, despite their great relevance to the potential usefulness of the material in devices.

Keywords

Ferromagnetic materials, Gadolinium, Gadolinium nitrides, Gallium, Ion beams, Magnetic properties, Nitrogen compounds, Thin films

Citation

Granville, S., Budde, F., Koo, A., Ruck, B. J., Trodahl, H. J., Bittar, A., Metson, J. B., Kennedy, V.J., Prince, K.E. & Atanacio, A. (2005). Ion beam analysis of GdN thin films with a protective GaN capping layer. In Bruhn, F. (chair), 14th Australian Conference on Nuclear and Complementary Techniques of Analysis & 8th Vacuum Society of Australia Congress, 20-22 November 2005, Wellington (New Zealand). (pp.137-140 ).