【International Papers】Domain matching epitaxy of α-Ga₂O₃ thin film on sapphire by pulsed laser deposition

      Recently, Pukyong National University in South Korea published an article entitled Domain matching expenditure of α- Paper on Ga2O3 thin film on sapphire by pulsed laser deposition.

Abstract

      Metastable (00l)-oriented rhombohedral α-Ga₂O₃ thin films with phase purity were epitaxially grown on c-plane α-Al₂O₃ substrates using pulsed laser deposition. It was elucidated that domain matching epitaxy enables the epitaxial growth of α-Ga₂O₃ thin film on α-Al₂O₃ substrate by stabilizing structural instability through reducing misfit strain. In reciprocal space mapping analyses of α-Ga₂O₃ thin films with different thicknesses, no considerable differences in lattice parameters (a = 4.977 Å and c = 13.442 Å) and the degree of misfit strain were identified. The optical bandgap of α-Ga₂O₃ thin film was modulated with crystal quality from 4.75 to 5.3 eV in the thickness range from 4 to 49 nm, indicating the characteristics of α-phase. Our results provide a facile way to stabilize the metastable α-phase of Ga₂O₃ using the α-Ga₂O₃/α-Al₂O₃ heterostructures through domain matching epitaxy with comprehensive structural characteristics and a promising potential for bandgap tuning for power devices, sensors, and solar-blind deep-ultra-violet photodetectors.

Paper Link：https://doi.org/10.1007/s40042-023-00766-1