Amorphous grain boundary layers in the ferromagnetic nanograined ZnO films

Abstract Pure ZnO thin films were obtained by the wet chemistry (“liquid ceramics”) method from the butanoate precursors. Films consist of dense equiaxial nanograins and reveal ferromagnetic behaviour. The structure of the ZnO films was studied by the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The intergranular regions in the nanograined ZnO films obtained by the “liquid ceramics” method are amorphous. It looks like fine areas of the second amorphous phase which wets (covers) some of the ZnO/ZnO grain boundaries. Most probably these amorphous intergranular regions contain the defects which are responsible for the ferromagnetic behaviour.