Metal-semiconductor transition at a comparable resistivity level and positive magnetoresistance in Mn3Mn1-x Pd x N thin films
Abstract
Thin films of antiperovskite Mn3Mn1-x Pd x N with x up to 0.36 were grown by reactive magnetron co-sputtering method. All the deposits exhibit a [1 0 0] preferential orientation, with the lattice constant slightly enlarged in samples with ever more Pd atoms partially substituting the MnI atoms in Mn3MnN matrix. The replacement of MnI atoms in antiperovskite structure by Pd atoms, besides reducing the saturation magnetization, also invokes a metal-semiconductor transition which occurs remarkably at a comparable resistivity level. Moreover, a positive magnetoresistance was observed in samples of a high Pd content. These tunable electrical and magnetic properties of ternary antiperovskite compounds might promise some ingenious applications in electronic industry.
- Publication:
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Journal of Physics D Applied Physics
- Pub Date:
- February 2018
- DOI:
- 10.1088/1361-6463/aaa258
- Bibcode:
- 2018JPhD...51e5303X