The effect of nitrogen incorporation on the magnetic properties of carbon-doped ZnO

Samples of carbon-doped ZnO powders were prepared by the standard solid-state reaction method and sintered separately in argon and nitrogen atmospheres. According to the results of Raman spectroscopic investigation, the samples sintered in nitrogen showed lower D-bond (disordered) and G-bond (graphitic) concentrations, plausibly a result of nitrogen incorporation into the carbon-doped ZnO sample. All the samples are ferromagnetic at room temperature, and compared with those sintered in argon, those sintered in nitrogen have a lower magnetic moment. We found that the electrons-mediated mechanism is more suitable than the holes-mediated one for the explanation of ferromagnetism of carbon-doped ZnO materials.