Year: 2005
Type: article
Abstract: We report on in situ resistivity measurements on Ga1−xMnxAs during post-growth annealing in different atmospheres. A drop in the resistivity is observed when the Ga1−xMnxAs is exposed to oxygen, which indicates that the passivation of Mn interstitials (MnI) at the free surface occurs through oxidation. The presence of oxygen can therefore be an important annealing condition for the optimization of Ga1−xMnxAs thin films, all the more since the oxidation appears to be limited to the sample surface. Annealing in an oxygen-free atmosphere leads to an increase in the resistivity indicating a second annealing mechanism besides the outdiffusion of MnI. According to our magnetization and Hall effect data, this mechanism reduces the amount of magnetically and electrically active Mn atoms.
Source: Applied Physics Letters
DOI: 10.1063/1.1886912
Institutions: KU Leuven, IMEC
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1676937175