Recent advances in the theory and experimental realization of ferromagnetic semiconductors give hope that a new generation of microelectronic devices based on the spin degree of freedom of the electron can be developed. This review focuses primarily on promising candidate materials ͑such as GaN, GaP and ZnO͒ in which there is already a technology base and a fairly good understanding of the basic electrical and optical properties. The introduction of Mn into these and other materials under the right conditions is found to produce ferromagnetism near or above room temperature.There are a number of other potential dopant ions that could be employed ͑such as Fe, Ni, Co, Cr͒ as suggested by theory ͓see, for example, Sato and Katayama-Yoshida, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Part 2 39, L555 ͑2000͔͒. Growth of these ferromagnetic materials by thin film techniques, such as molecular beam epitaxy or pulsed laser deposition, provides excellent control of the dopant concentration and the ability to grow single-phase layers. The mechanism for the observed magnetic behavior is complex and appears to depend on a number of factors, including Mn-Mn spacing, and carrier density and type. For example, in a simple Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida carrier-mediated exchange mechanism, the free-carrier/Mn ion interaction can be either ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic depending on the separation of the Mn ions. Potential applications for ferromagnetic semiconductors and oxides include electrically controlled magnetic sensors and actuators, high-density ultralow-power memory and logic, spin-polarized light emitters for optical encoding, advanced optical switches and modulators and devices with integrated magnetic, electronic and optical functionality.

GaMnN thin films were synthesized using gas-source molecular-beam epitaxy. Mn concentrations between 3 and 12 at. % were investigated. No evidence of second-phase formation was observed by powder x-ray diffraction or high-resolution cross section transmission electron microscopy in films with 9% or less Mn. The films were n type as determined by capacitance–voltage or Hall analysis. Magnetic characterization performed using a squid magnetometer showed evidence of ferromagnetic ordering at room temperature for all samples. In agreement with theoretical predictions, material with 3% Mn showed the highest degree of ordering per Mn atom. At 320 K, the samples show a nonzero magnetization indicating a TC above room temperature.

High doses (10 15-5ϫ10 16 cm Ϫ2) of Mn ϩ ions were implanted into p-GaN at ϳ350°C and annealed at 700-1000°C. At the high end of this dose range, platelet structures of Ga x Mn 1Ϫx N were formed. The presence of these regions correlated with ferromagnetic behavior in the samples up to ϳ250 K. At low doses, the implanted led to a buried band of defects at the end of the ion range.

Growth by molecular-beam epitaxy of the dilute magnetic alloy GaMnN is reported. The GaMnN contains 7.0% Mn as determined by Auger electron spectroscopy, and is single phase as determined by x-ray diffraction and reflection high-energy electron diffraction. Both magnetic and magnetotransport data are reported. The results show the anomalous Hall effect, negative magnetoresistance, and magnetic hysteresis at 10 K, indicating that Mn is incorporating into the GaN and forming the ferromagnetic semiconductor GaMnN. At 25 K the anomalous Hall term vanishes, indicating a Curie temperature between 10 and 25 K.

Hydrogen incorporation depths of >25 μm were obtained in bulk, single-crystal ZnO during exposure to H2 plasmas for 0.5 h at 300 °C, producing an estimated diffusivity of ∼8×10−10 cm2/V⋅s at this temperature. The activation energy for diffusion was 0.17±0.12 eV, indicating an interstitial mechanism. Subsequent annealing at 500–600 °C was sufficient to evolve all of the hydrogen out of the ZnO, at least to the sensitivity of secondary ion mass spectrometry (<5×1015 cm−3). The thermal stability of hydrogen retention is slightly greater when the hydrogen is incorporated by direct implantation relative to plasma exposure, due to trapping at residual damage in the former case.