ABSTRACT
Recently, semiconductor-based spintronic materials have obtained much attention because they make it possible to develop novel spintronic devices, such as novel transistors, lasers, integrated magnetic sensors; ultralow power, high-speed memories; and logic and photonic devices by utilizing the spin of charge carriers. The utility of these devices depends on the availability of materials with practical magnetic ordering temperatures. Dietl’s work predicted that the Curie temperature will be strongly related to the band gap of semiconductors, and wide band-gap semiconductors, such as GaN and ZnO, may be suitable candidates to realize carrier-induced ferromagnetism at room temperature or higher. A number of research studies have been conducted to exploit high-temperature ferromagnetism in wide band-gap
semiconductor materials. In this chapter, we will review the growth and characterization of wide band-gap dilute magnetic semiconductors, such as GaN and ZnO, and discuss the origins of the magnetism in these materials.
