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Intern: Lauren Snedeker, Michigan Technology University Mentor: Aditi Risbud Faculty Supervisor: Ram Seshadri Department: MRL

SYNTHESIS OF CoZnO AS A POTENTIAL TRANSPARENT DILUTE MAGNETIC SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL

Wide bandgap semiconductor materials like zinc oxide are useful for electronic devices and computer applications. These materials are transparent due to their wide bandgap (For ZnO, Eg= 3.3 eV). The wurtzite crystal structure plays an important role for a potential use as a dilute magnetic semiconductor. In the case of ZnO, the Zn2+ ions are substituted with Co2+ ions in order to create a potential dilute magnetic semiconductor. The synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles via thermal decomposition of zinc acetylacetonate, [Zn(acac)2] in benzyl ether solvent at 300°C forms ZnO nanoparticles 9 nm in diameter. Maintaining the wurtzite structure, nanoscale CoxZn1-xO with x= 0.05, 0.01, and 0.15 are also examined using Co(acac)2 and Zn(acac)2 in the respective ratios. Bulk CoZnO materials in these ratios were investigated by Risbud, et. al, 2003. In addition, the synthesis of nano ZnO and CoZnO is studied from a bulk precursor of ZnO and CoZnO. Characterization of these materials is performed via X-ray diffraction, Transmission electron microscopy, and DC magnetization measurements /SQUID.

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