Comparative studies on Zn0.95Ni0.05O DMS synthesized by co-precipitation and ceramic methods

ZnO substituted with transitional metal ions at the cationic site present interesting magnetic properties due to the strong sp-d exchange interaction which are expected to play a vital role in SPINTRONICS applications. The preparation route plays a vital role in the synthesis of single phase oxide diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS). Zn0.95Ni0.05O prepared by both co-precipitation and ceramic methods were analyzed in detail by powder X-ray diffraction. Pelleted samples examined for their magnetic property using vibrating sample magnetometer indicated ferromagnetic-like behavior at 300 K. Comparing the results of measurements performed on both the samples, we conclude co-precipitation method to be more effective in obtaining single phase compound with desirable properties by the relatively low temperature processing of the precipitated hydroxides.