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β-Ga2O3 is a promising ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor whose properties can be further enhanced by alloying with Al. Here, using atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, we find the thermodynamically unstable γ-phase is a ubiquitous structural defect in both β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 films and doped β-Ga2O3 films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. For undoped β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 films, we observe γ-phase inclusions between nucleating islands of the β-phase at lower growth temperatures (∼500–600 °C). In doped β-Ga2O3, a thin layer of the γ-phase is observed on the surfaces of films grown with a wide range of n-type dopants and dopant concentrations. The thickness of the γ-phase layer was most strongly correlated with the growth temperature, peaking at about 600 °C. Ga interstitials are observed in the β-phase, especially near the interface with the γ-phase. By imaging the same region of the surface of a Sn-doped β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 after ex situ heating up to 400 °C, a γ-phase region is observed to grow above the initial surface, accompanied by a decrease in Ga interstitials in the β-phase. This suggests that the diffusion of Ga interstitials toward the surface is likely the mechanism for growth of the surface γ-phase and more generally that the more-open γ-phase may offer diffusion pathways to be a kinetically favored and early forming phase in the growth of Ga2O3. However, more modeling and simulation of the γ-phase and the interstitials are needed to understand the energetics and kinetics, the impact on electronic properties, and how to control them.
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Atomic-scale characterization of structural damage and recovery in Sn ion-implanted β-Ga2O3
β-Ga2O3 is an emerging ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor, holding a tremendous potential for power-switching devices for next-generation high power electronics. The performance of such devices strongly relies on the precise control of electrical properties of β-Ga2O3, which can be achieved by implantation of dopant ions. However, a detailed understanding of the impact of ion implantation on the structure of β-Ga2O3 remains elusive. Here, using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, we investigate the nature of structural damage in ion-implanted β-Ga2O3 and its recovery upon heat treatment with the atomic-scale spatial resolution. We reveal that upon Sn ion implantation, Ga2O3 films undergo a phase transformation from the monoclinic β-phase to the defective cubic spinel γ-phase, which contains high-density antiphase boundaries. Using the planar defect models proposed for the γ-Al2O3, which has the same space group as β-Ga2O3, and atomic-resolution microscopy images, we identify that the observed antiphase boundaries are the {100}1/4 ⟨110⟩ type in cubic structure. We show that post-implantation annealing at 1100 °C under the N2 atmosphere effectively recovers the β-phase; however, nano-sized voids retained within the β-phase structure and a γ-phase surface layer are identified as remanent damage. Our results offer an atomic-scale insight into the structural evolution of β-Ga2O3 under ion implantation and high-temperature annealing, which is key to the optimization of semiconductor processing conditions for relevant device design and the theoretical understanding of defect formation and phase stability.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1856662
- PAR ID:
- 10439999
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Institute of Physics
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Applied Physics Letters
- Volume:
- 121
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 0003-6951
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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