CAREER: RUI: Development and Investigations of Transition-Metal-Doped Ferromagnetic SnO2 Thin Films and Structures

Magneto-electronics, commonly known as spintronics, employs the spins of quantum-mechanical particles to carry signals and process information, in contrast to conventional electronics, which relies on their charges. It has been proposed as a much-needed future technology as the conventional semiconductor based electronic technology quickly approaches the limits of miniaturization. For the realization of practical spintronic devices, it is imperative to develop semiconductors that are ferromagnetic at room temperature. This CAREER project proposes to develop high-quality tin-dioxide-based magnetic semiconductor thin films. These materials are also very attractive in gas-sensing applications due to the strong dependence of their magnetic properties on oxygen stoichiometry - a new gas-sensing method developed and reported for the first time by the PI. These magnetic semiconductor films will be prepared by doping semiconducting tin dioxide with magnetic elements such as iron and cobalt using sputter deposition - the most commonly used fabrication technique in industry. This work will be carried out involving at least two undergraduate students and a materials science graduate student every year, thus providing unprecedented research and training opportunities in for as many as 15 students over the 5-year period. They will collaborate with scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Lab, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Micron Technology Labs (Boise), the University of Idaho, and Argonne National Lab. The proposed research activities will be further integrated into the physics and materials science undergraduate/graduate programs through development of course materials for new and existing courses, and will also strengthen the new interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Materials Science at Boise State University that is proposed for 2008.

This CAREER proposal focuses on the development of high-quality ferromagnetic semiconductor thin films that are crucial for the development of magnetic/magneto-electronic devices and for novel magnetic gas-sensing devices. Magneto-electronics (spintronics) has been proposed as a much-needed future technology as the conventional semiconductor based electronic technology rapidly approaches the limits of miniaturization, data processing, and storage. The tin-dioxide-based magnetic semiconductors that will be developed in this project are also attractive for gas-sensing applications using the dependence of their magnetic properties on the oxygen stoichiometry - a new gas-sensing method developed and reported for the first time by the PI. As many as 15 undergraduate/graduate students will have the opportunity to collaborate with scientists at various national labs and industry over the five-year period. The project will significantly improve the quality of research and teaching activities in the physics and materials science undergraduate/graduate programs and will strengthen the new interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Materials Science at Boise State University that has been proposed for 2008.