Search for: All records

Highly resistive undoped p-type gallium oxide samples were subjected to cumulative proton irradiation with energies ranging from 25 to 70 keV and doses in the 1.6 × 10¹⁴–3.6 × 10¹⁴cm⁻²range. Proton irradiation resulted in up to a factor of 2 reduction of minority electron diffusion length in the samples for temperatures between ∼ 300 and 400 K. Electron injection into the samples under test using a scanning electron microscope beam leads to pronounced elongation of diffusion length beyond the pre-irradiation values, thus demonstrating stable (days after injection) recovery of adverse radiation impact on minority carrier transport. The activation energy of 91 meV estimated from the temperature dependent diffusion length vs electron injection duration experiments is likely related to the local potential barrier height for native defects associated with the phenomenon of interest. 

Electron beam-induced current in the temperature range from 304 to 404 K was employed to measure the minority carrier diffusion length in metal–organic chemical vapor deposition-grown p-Ga2O3 thin films with two different concentrations of majority carriers. The diffusion length of electrons exhibited a decrease with increasing temperature. In addition, the cathodoluminescence emission spectrum identified optical signatures of the acceptor levels associated with the VGa−–VO++ complex. The activation energies for the diffusion length decrease and quenching of cathodoluminescence emission with increasing temperature were ascribed to the thermal de-trapping of electrons from VGa−–VO++ defect complexes. 

Temperature dependent continuous and time-resolved cathodoluminescence measurements were employed to understand the luminescence from Si-doped β-Ga2O3 prior to irradiation and after 10 MeV proton and 18 MeV alpha-particle irradiation. The shape and location of the luminescence components [ultraviolet luminescence (UVL′) at 3.63 eV, UVL at 3.3 eV, and blue-luminescence at 2.96 eV] obtained from Gaussian decomposition did not change in either width or peak location, indicating that new radiation-induced trap-levels were non-radiative in nature between the 4.5 and 310 K temperature range. Activation energies, associated with thermal quenching of UVL′ and UVL bands, show temperature dependence, suggesting ionization of shallow Si-donors and a thermally activated non-radiative process. 

We report the effect of extended duration electron beam exposure on the minority carrier transport properties of 10 MeV proton irradiated (fluence ∼10¹⁴cm⁻²) Si-dopedβ-Ga₂O₃Schottky rectifiers. The diffusion length (L) of minority carriers is found to decrease with temperature from 330 nm at 21 °C to 289 nm at 120 °C, with an activation energy of ∼26 meV. This energy corresponds to the presence of shallow Si trap-levels. Extended duration electron beam exposure enhancesLfrom 330 nm to 726 nm at room temperature. The rate of increase forLis lower with increased temperature, with an activation energy of 43 meV. Finally, a brief comparison of the effect of electron injection on proton irradiated, alpha-particle irradiated and a reference Si-dopedβ-Ga₂O₃Schottky rectifiers is presented. 

The impact of electron injection, using 10 keV beam of a Scanning Electron Microscope, on minority carrier transport in Si-doped β-Ga2O3 was studied for temperatures ranging from room to 120°C. In-situ Electron Beam-Induced Current technique was employed to determine the diffusion length of minority holes as a function of temperature and duration of electron injection. The experiments revealed a pronounced elongation of hole diffusion length with increasing duration of injection. The activation energy, associated with the electron injection-induced elongation of the diffusion length, was determined at ∼ 74 meV and matches the previous independent studies. It was additionally discovered that an increase of the diffusion length in the regions affected by electron injection is accompanied by a simultaneous decrease of cathodoluminescence intensity. Both effects were attributed to increasing non-equilibrium hole lifetime in the valence band of β-Ga2O3 semiconductor.