Spinodal nanodecomposition in semiconductors doped with transition metals

T. Dietl, K. Sato, T. Fukushima, A. Bonanni, M. Jamet, A. Barski, S. Kuroda, M. Tanaka, Pham Nam Hai, and H. Katayama-Yoshida
Rev. Mod. Phys. 87, 1311 – Published 19 November 2015

Abstract

This review presents the recent progress in computational materials design, experimental realization, and control methods of spinodal nanodecomposition under three- and two-dimensional crystal-growth conditions in spintronic materials, such as magnetically doped semiconductors. The computational description of nanodecomposition, performed by combining first-principles calculations with kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, is discussed together with extensive electron microscopy, synchrotron radiation, scanning probe, and ion beam methods that have been employed to visualize binodal and spinodal nanodecomposition (chemical phase separation) as well as nanoprecipitation (crystallographic phase separation) in a range of semiconductor compounds with a concentration of transition metal (TM) impurities beyond the solubility limit. The role of growth conditions, codoping by shallow impurities, kinetic barriers, and surface reactions in controlling the aggregation of magnetic cations is highlighted. According to theoretical simulations and experimental results the TM-rich regions appear in the form of either nanodots (the dairiseki phase) or nanocolumns (the konbu phase) buried in the host semiconductor. Particular attention is paid to Mn-doped group III arsenides and antimonides, TM-doped group III nitrides, Mn- and Fe-doped Ge, and Cr-doped group II chalcogenides, in which ferromagnetic features persisting up to above room temperature correlate with the presence of nanodecomposition and account for the application-relevant magneto-optical and magnetotransport properties of these compounds. Finally, it is pointed out that spinodal nanodecomposition can be viewed as a new class of bottom-up approach to nanofabrication.

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  • Received 28 December 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.87.1311

© 2015 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

T. Dietl

  • Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-02-668 Warszawa, Poland, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, PL-02-093 Warszawa, Poland, and WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

K. Sato*

  • Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan and Institute for NanoScience Design, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan

T. Fukushima

  • Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan

A. Bonanni

  • Institut für Halbleiter-und-Festkörperphysik, Johannes Kepler University, A-4040 Linz, Austria

M. Jamet

  • Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, INAC/SP2M-UJF, F-38054 Grenoble, France

A. Barski

  • Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, INAC/SP2M-UJF, F-38054 Grenoble, France

S. Kuroda

  • Institute of Materials Science, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573, Japan

M. Tanaka

  • Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan

Pham Nam Hai

  • Department of Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan

H. Katayama-Yoshida

  • Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan and Institute for NanoScience Design, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan

  • *ksato@mat.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp
  • alberta.bonanni@jku.at

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Vol. 87, Iss. 4 — October - December 2015

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