  We report on the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of GaN:Fe and
(Ga,Fe)N layers on c-sapphire substrates and their thorough characterization
via high-resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD), transmission electron microscopy
(TEM), spatially-resolved energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS),
secondary-ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), photoluminescence (PL), Hall-effect,
electron-paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and magnetometry employing a
superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). A combination of TEM and
EDS reveals the presence of coherent nanocrystals presumably FexN with the
composition and lattice parameter imposed by the host. From both TEM and SIMS
studies, it is stated that the density of nanocrystals and, thus the Fe
concentration increases towards the surface. In layers with iron content x<0.4%
the presence of ferromagnetic signatures, such as magnetization hysteresis and
spontaneous magnetization, have been detected. We link the presence of
ferromagnetic signatures to the formation of Fe-rich nanocrystals, as evidenced
by TEM and EDS studies. This interpretation is supported by magnetization
measurements after cooling in- and without an external magnetic field, pointing
to superparamagnetic properties of the system. It is argued that the high
temperature ferromagnetic response due to spinodal decomposition into regions
with small and large concentration of the magnetic component is a generic
property of diluted magnetic semiconductors and diluted magnetic oxides showing
high apparent Curie temperature.
