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At least 19 records

Advances in Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth of Ultra-Wide Bandgap Ga2O3 Based Alloys

Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) is an emerging ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor material that has attracted attention for its potential to outperform existing SiC and GaN based devices operating at high breakdown voltages and high temperature. Isovalent alloying of In and Al in Ga2O3 provides the ability to engineer bandgap energy and strain of the material. Alloying with Al increases the bandgap energy and the theoretically achievable Baliga's figure of merit, a key measure of a material's ultimate performance limits for high power switching devices. Alloying with In introduces compressive strain and can be used to counteract the tensile strain of Al incorporation. The resulting (AlxGa1-x-yIny)2O3 alloy can be lattice-matched to commercially available Ga2O3 wafers and has a tunable bandgap energy greater than that of Ga2O3, 4.76 eV. Such lattice-matched material can be grown arbitrarily thick without the detrimental effects of elastic strain and relaxation, making it suitable for high voltage diodes and transistors. However, efforts to synthesize isovalent alloys are complicated by their tendency to phase separate into corundum Al2O3 or bixbyite In2O3. Literature reports of the quaternary (AlxGa1-x-yIny)2O3 are limited to <1% unintentional indium incorporation in In-catalyzed (AlxGa1-x)2O3. The primary limitation to quaternary growth is the limited incorporation of indium at elevated growth temperatures. This limited incorporation is due to both the volatility of indium oxide and Al and Ga cation exchange reactions which replace indium in In2O3. We report on the development of a novel high-throughput molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) technique to screen the growth conditions for the ternary alloy (InyGa1-y)2O3, and the application of these findings to the first successful synthesis of phase pure monoclinic (AlxGa1-x-yIny)2O3 by MBE. By leveraging the unique sub-oxide chemistry of Ga2O3 and in-situ monitoring of crystal properties by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), a cyclical growth and etch-back method is developed and applied to rapidly characterize the (InyGa1-y)2O3 growth space. This cyclical method provides approximately 10x increase in experimental throughput and up to 46x improvement in Ga2O3 substrate utilization. Appropriate growth conditions for monoclinic (InyGa1- y)2O3 are identified by machine learning analysis of RHEED patterns and targeted growths are characterized ex-situ to confirm improved In incorporation. These growth conditions are then combined with established (AlxGa1-x)2O3 growth conditions to grow quaternary (AlxGa1-x-yIny)2O3 with Al mole fractions ranging from 1.4% - 24.4% and In mole fractions ranging from 3.1% to 15.5%. The chemical and optical properties of the alloys are investigated by XRD, XPS, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. A lattice-matched (AlxGa1-x-yIny)2O3 alloy is examined by 4D-STEM and the chemical and physical uniformity of Al and In incorporation are discussed.

alloy↗

Effect of lithium diffusion into Ga 2 O 3 thin films

The integration of lithium based compounds (e.g., Li:NiO/Ga 2 O 3 , LiGa 5 O 8 /Ga 2 O 3 ) in Ga 2 O 3 based pn-heterojunctions raises concerns about interface stability, i.e., Li diffusion effects on Ga 2 O 3 properties. In this work the ex-situ diffusion of Li is investigated in three different Ga 2 O 3 epilayers systems [(001) κ-Ga 2 O 3 and (−201) β-Ga2O3 heteroepitaxy on (001) α-Al 2 O 3 , and (010) β-Ga 2 O 3 homoepitaxy] at relevant temperatures for the synthesis / processing of Li-based epilayers. It is here experimentally demonstrated and quantified the Li diffusion in all the investigated Ga 2 O 3 epilayers systems and Li bulk (D Li,bulk ) and 2D defects (D Li,2D ) diffusion coefficients are provided. In the case of the (010) β-Ga 2 O 3 homoepitaxial layer (nominally free of structural defects), hybrid functional theory calculations foresee a diffusion mechanism mediated by Ga vacancies (VGa). Moreover, in the (010) β-Ga 2 O 3 homo-layer a significant effect on its functional properties (e.g., additional Raman vibrational modes, induced conductivity in an otherwise insulating sample) upon the Li-diffusion process is experimentally highlighted and tentatively related to the passivation of acceptor defects (i.e., formation of V Ga -nLi complexes).

Defects↗

Low Thermal Resistance (0.5 K/W) Ga 2 O 3 Schottky Rectifiers With Double-Side Packaging

The low thermal conductivity of Ga 2 O 3 has arguably been the most serious concern for Ga 2 O 3 power and RF devices. Despite many simulation studies, there is no experimental report on the thermal resistance of a large-area, packaged Ga 2 O 3 device. This work fills this gap by demonstrating a 15-A double-side packaged Ga 2 O 3 Schottky barrier diode (SBD) and measuring its junction-to-case thermal resistance (R θJC ) in the bottom-side- and junction-side-cooling configurations. The R θJC characterization is based on the transient dual interface method, i.e., JEDEC 51-14 standard. The R θJC of the junction- and bottom-cooled Ga 2 O 3 SBD was measured to be 0.5 K/W and 1.43 K/W, respectively, with the former R θJC lower than that of similarly-rated commercial SiC SBDs. This low R θJC is attributable to the heat extraction directly from the Schottky junction instead of through the Ga 2 O 3 chip. Here, the R θJC lower than that of commercial SiC devices proves the viability of Ga 2 O 3 devices for high-power applications and manifest the significance of proper packaging for their thermal management.

42 ENGINEERING↗

The Nonradiative Properties of Self–Trapped Holes in Ultra–Wide Bandgap Gallium Oxide Film

The photoluminescence (PL) of self-trapped holes (STH) in ultra-wide bandgap β-Ga 2 O 3 is commonly its most dominant light emission and is an inherent property. Thus, gaining knowledge of the crystal dynamics that impact the PL properties is vital to sensor and other technologies. The PL, Raman-phonons, and their interactions are studied at an extreme temperature range of 77–622 K. The PL is studied up to the bandgap value of ≈5 eV. It is found that the high-energy Raman modes provide a major route to the nonradiative process of the PL via STH–phonon interaction with an activation energy of 72 meV. This dynamic is modeled with the configurational coordinate scheme at the strong phonon coupling limit. The exceptionally broad Gaussian PL linewidth manifests this coupling. The weak temperature response of the PL energy peak position indicates that the STH has characteristics of a deep-level defect. This contrasts with the large redshift of ≈220 meV of the optical gap of the film, ascertained from transmission. Unlike the temperature response of the high-energy phonons, the behavior of the low-energy phonons is found to follow the Bose–Einstein population increase, indicating no strong interaction with the STH.

Raman↗

Engineering shallow and deep level defects in $\kappa$-Ga 2 O 3 thin films: comparing metal-organic vapour phase epitaxy to molecular beam epitaxy and the effect of annealing treatments

Orthorhombic gallium oxide (κ-Ga 2 O 3 ) is an ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor with great potential in new generation electronics. Its application is hindered at present by the limited physical understanding of the relationship between synthesis and functional properties. This work discusses the effects of growth method (metal-organic vapour phase epitaxy and molecular beam epitaxy) as well as annealing treatments in different atmospheres (O 2 , H 2 ) on point defects in κ-Ga 2 O 3 layers epitaxially grown on c-plane sapphire. Comprehensive experimental characterization by X-ray diffraction, photo current-as well as photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, and X-ray photo electron spectroscopy is combined with first principles calculations of the point defects’ formation and complex-dissociation energies. We demonstrate that for κ-Ga 2 O 3 the concentration of shallow and deep level defects can be sensitively controlled through annealing treatments at temperatures (T = 500 °C) well below the thermal stability threshold of this polymorph. In particular, our results suggest that hydrogen-related defects (e.g., H-interstitials, Ga-vacancies—H complexes) play a key role in this process. While we provide direct exemplary implications of our results for the performances of κ-Ga 2 O 3 based photodetectors, these findings are predicted to impact further application fields of κ-Ga 2 O 3 , such as high electron mobility transistors or memory devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Localized UV emitters on the surface of β-Ga 2 O 3

Abstract Monoclinic gallium oxide (β-Ga 2 O 3 ) is attracting intense focus as a material for power electronics, thanks to its ultra-wide bandgap (4.5–4.8 eV) and ability to be easily doped n -type. Because the holes self-trap, the band-edge luminescence is weak; hence, β-Ga 2 O 3 has not been regarded as a promising material for light emission. In this work, optical and structural imaging methods revealed the presence of localized surface defects that emit in the near-UV (3.27 eV, 380 nm) when excited by sub-bandgap light. The PL emission of these centers is extremely bright—50 times brighter than that of single-crystal ZnO, a direct-gap semiconductor that has been touted as an active material for UV devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Ultrathin stable Ohmic contacts for high-temperature operation of β -Ga2O3 devices

Beta gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) shows significant promise in high-temperature, high-power, and sensing electronics applications. However, long-term stable metallization layers for Ohmic contacts at high temperatures present unique thermodynamic challenges. The current most common Ohmic contact design based on 20 nm of Ti has been repeatedly demonstrated to fail at even moderately elevated temperatures (300–400 °C) due to a combination of nonstoichiometric Ti/Ga2O3 interfacial reactions and kinetically favored Ti diffusion processes. Here, we demonstrate stable Ohmic contacts for Ga2O3 devices operating up to 500–600 °C using ultrathin Ti layers with a self-limiting interfacial reaction. The ultrathin Ti layer in the 5 nm Ti/100 nm Au contact stack is designed to fully oxidize while forming an Ohmic contact, thereby limiting both thermodynamic and kinetic instability. This novel contact design strategy results in an epitaxial conductive anatase titanium oxide interface layer that enables low-resistance Ohmic contacts that are stable both under long-term continuous operation (>500 h) at 600 °C in vacuum (≤10−4 Torr), as well as after repeated thermal cycling (15 times) between room temperature and 550 °C in flowing N2. This stable Ohmic contact design will accelerate the development of high-temperature devices by enabling research focus to shift toward rectifying interfaces and other interfacial layers.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy of wide bandgap semiconductors damaged by deep-UV laser irradiation

The effects of a pulsed, focused, deep-UV (4.66 eV) laser on wide and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors were investigated with photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectroscopy. Three semiconductor single crystals were studied: silicon carbide (6H-SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), and gallium oxide (β-Ga 2 O 3 ). Atomic emission lines from neutral Ga or Si were observed during the laser-damage process. For all three semiconductors, PL mapping (3.49 eV laser excitation) of the damaged material revealed visible emission bands in the 2.6–2.8 eV range, attributed to point defects. Raman spectra (2.33 eV excitation) showed a reduction in the Raman peak intensities in the damaged region, along with weak PL bands around 1.9–2.1 eV.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Computational Fermi Level Engineering and Doping-Type Conversion of Mg:Ga 2 O 3 via Three-Step Synthesis Process

Gallium oxide (Ga 2 O 3 ) is being actively explored for electronics that can operate at high power, temperature, and frequency as well as for deep-ultraviolet optoelectronics and other applications due to its ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) and low projected fabrication cost of large-size and high-quality crystals. Efficient n-type doping of monoclinic beta-phase of Ga 2 O 3 has been achieved, but p-type doping faces fundamental obstacles due to compensation, deep acceptor levels, and the polaron transport mechanism of free holes. However, aside from the challenges of achieving p-type conductivity, plenty of opportunity exists to engineer the position of the Fermi level for improved design of Ga 2 O 3 -based devices. We use first-principles defect theory and defect equilibrium calculations to simulate a three-step growth-annealing-quench synthesis protocol for hydrogen-assisted Mg doping in ß-Ga 2 O 3 . The simulations take into account the gas phase equilibrium between H 2 , O 2 , and H 2 O, which determines the H chemical potential. We predict Ga 2 O 3 doping-type conversion to a net p-type regime after growth under reducing conditions in the presence of H2 followed by O-rich annealing, which is a similar process to Mg acceptor activation by H removal in GaN. For equilibrium annealing with re-equilibration of compensating O vacancies, there is an optimal temperature that maximizes the Ga 2 O 3 net acceptor density for a given Mg doping level; the acceptor density is further increased in the non-equilibrium annealing scenario without re-equilibration. After quenching to operating temperature, the Ga 2 O 3 Fermi level drops below mid-gap down to about 1.5 eV above the valence band maximum, creating a significant number of uncompensated neutral Mg Ga 0 acceptors. The resulting free hole concentration in Ga 2 O 3 is very low even at elevated operating temperature (~10 8 cm -3 at 400°C) due to the deep energy level of these Mg acceptors, and hole conductivity is further impeded by the polaron hopping mechanism. However, the Fermi-level reduction and suppression of free electron density in this doping-type converted (NA>ND) Ga 2 O 3 material are important for improved designs of Ga 2 O 3 electronic devices. These results illustrate the power of computational predictions not only for new materials but also for their synthesis science.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A perspective on the electro-thermal co-design of ultra-wide bandgap lateral devices

Fundamental research and development of ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductor devices are under way to realize next-generation power conversion and wireless communication systems. Devices based on aluminum gallium nitride (AlxGa1-xN, x is the Al composition), ..beta..-phase gallium oxide (..beta..-Ga2O3), and diamond give promise to the development of power switching devices and radio frequency power amplifiers with higher performance and efficiency than commercial wide bandgap semiconductor devices based on gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC). However, one of the most critical challenges for the successful deployment of UWBG device technologies is to overcome adverse thermal effects that impact the device performance and reliability. Overheating of UWBG devices originates from the projected high power density operation and poor intrinsic thermal properties of AlxGa1-xN and ..beta..-Ga2O3. This Perspective delineates the need and process for the "electro-thermal co-design" of laterally configured UWBG electronic devices and provides a comprehensive review of current state-of-the-art thermal characterization methods, device thermal modeling practices, and both device- and package-level thermal management solutions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

1 kV Self-Aligned Vertical GaN Superjunction Diode

This work demonstrates vertical GaN superjunction (SJ) diodes fabricated via a novel self-aligned process. The SJ comprises n-GaN pillars wrapped by the charge-balanced p-type nickel oxide (NiO). After the NiO sputtering around GaN pillars, the self-aligned process exposes the top pillar surfaces without the need for additional lithography or a patterned NiO etching which is usually difficult. The GaN SJ diode shows a breakdown voltage (B V) of 1100 V, a specific on-resistance (R ON ) of 0.4 mΩ· cm2, and a SJ drift-region resistance ( R dr ) of 0.13 mΩ· cm2. Further, the device also exhibits good thermal stability with B V retained over 1 kV and R ON dropped to 0.3 mΩ· cm2 at 125°C. The trade-off between B V and R dr is superior to the 1D GaN limit. These results show the promise of vertical GaN SJ power devices. The self-aligned process is applicable for fabricating the heterogeneous SJ based on various wide- and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors.

42 ENGINEERING↗

First-principles calculations of structural, electrical, and optical properties of ultra-wide bandgap (Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$)$_2$O$_3$ alloys

Alloys between Ga 2 O 3 and Al 2 O 3 (AGO) present a rich material space exhibiting numerous structural phases with unique optoelectronic properties that make them attractive candidates as ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors for next-generation power devices. Here we review the properties of AGO, focusing on theoretical results on the thermodynamics of Al incorporation and its consequences on the electronic structure. We review predictions and progress in experimentally realizing these alloys, as well as how composition influences important optoelectronic variables such as the band gap, band offsets, transport properties, and n-type dopability. A number of these parameters, such as the breakdown field (related to the band gap) and electron mobility, are discussed in assessing AGO in terms of relevant power device figures of merit. Altogether, the rapid progress and predicted properties highlight the promise of AGO as a model UWBG semiconductor platform with the potential to revolutionize power devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Deep level transient spectroscopy investigation of ultra-wide bandgap ($\bar201$) and ($001$) β -Ga 2 O 3

Here, this work reports on a comprehensive examination of the electrical and thermal properties of vertical Schottky diodes fabricated on ($\bar201$) and ($001$)-oriented samples of β-Ga 2 O 3 . The temperature-dependent current–voltage (I–V) and capacitance–voltage (C–V) data were gathered and analyzed down to 60 K. Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) was used to study bulk and interface defects in the two materials from approx. 325 K down to 60 K. In the bulk ($\bar201$) material, an electron trap was observed at E C -0.46 eV, with a capture cross section of 1.6 x 10 -14 cm 2 and a lambda-corrected maximum trap density of 9.08 x 10 15 cm -3 . These results and others indicate that the electron trap is a strong candidate for the well-known E1 defect in β-Ga 2 O 3 based on recent investigations. Additionally, in the ($\bar201$) material, the smooth modulation typical of interface states is evident at temperatures below 275 K. The ($001$) samples manifested what is likely the E2* electron trap at E C -0.68 eV, with a capture cross section of 1.64 x 10 -15 cm 2 and a lambda-corrected maximum trap density of 8.85 x 10 15 cm -3 . The presence of the E2* defect, in particular, is a contrast to the findings of recent DLTS investigations on β-Ga 2 O 3 , which report that E2* emerged only after low-energy proton irradiation. These results help to further map out the defect signatures found in β-Ga 2 O 3 materials, which are of vital importance in the design and fabrication of future β-Ga 2 O 3 devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Photoluminescence spectroscopy of Cr 3+ in β-Ga 2 O 3 and (Al 0.1 Ga 0.9 ) 2 O 3

Alloying β-Ga 2 O 3 with Al 2 O 3 to create (Al x Ga 1–x ) 2 O 3 enables ultra-wide bandgap materials suitable for applications deep into ultraviolet. In this work, photoluminescence (PL) spectra of Cr 3+ were investigated in monoclinic single crystal β-Ga 2 O 3 , and 10 = mol. % Al 2 O 3 alloyed with β-Ga 2 O 3 , denoted β-(Al 0.1 Ga 0.9 ) 2 O 3 or AGO. Temperature-dependent PL properties were studied for Cr 3+ in AGO and β-Ga 2 O 3 from 295 to 16 K. For both materials at room temperature, the red-line emission doublet R 1 and R 2 occurs at 696 nm (1.78 eV) and 690 nm (1.80 eV), respectively, along with a broad emission band at 709 nm (1.75 eV). Here, the linewidths for AGO are larger for all temperatures due to alloy broadening. For both materials, the R-lines blue-shift with decreasing temperature. The (lowest energy) R 1 line is dominant at low temperatures due to the thermal population of the levels. For temperatures above ~50 K, however, the ratio of R 2 to R 1 peak areas is dominated by nonradiative combination.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Ultra-wide bandgap β-Ga 2 O 3 films: Optical, phonon, and temperature response properties

Optical and phonon interactions of Ga 2 O 3 thin films with nanocrystalline morphology were studied at extreme temperatures. The films were grown using a sputtering technique and analyzed via temperature response transmission, Raman scattering, and high-resolution deep-UV photoluminescence (PL). Raman modes indicated that the structure corresponds to the β-phase. The optical-gap at the range of 77–620 K exhibited a redshift of ~200 meV, with a temperature coefficient of ~0.4 meV/K. The optical-gap at room-temperature is 4.85 eV. The electron–phonon interaction model at that temperature range pointed to a low energy phonon, ~31 meV, that is involved in the thermal properties of the optical-gap. Detailed Urbach energy analysis indicated that defects are the dominant mechanism controlling the band-edge characteristics even at an elevated temperature regime where phonon dominance is usually expected. Defects are attributed to the disordered forms of graphite that were detected via Raman scattering and to the granular morphology of the film. A deep-UV laser with an above bandgap exaction line of 5.1 eV was employed to map the PL of the films. The highly resolved spectra, even at room-temperature, show a strong emission of ~3.56 eV attributed to self-trapped holes (STHs). The STH is discussed and modeled in terms of the self-trapped exciton. Moreover, a very distinct but low-intensity emission was found at 4.85 eV that agrees with the value of the optical-gap and is attributed to bandgap recombination. The intensity ratio between the STH and that of the bandgap was found to be 6:1.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Computational Fermi Level Engineering and Doping-Type Conversion of Ga2O3 Via Three-Step Processing

Ga2O3 is being actively explored for power electronics, deep-ultraviolet optoelectronics, and other applications due to its ultra-wide bandgap and low projected fabrication cost of large-size and high-quality crystals. N-type doping of Ga2O3 can be achieved and tuned, but p-type doping faces fundamental obstacles due to deep character of acceptor levels and polaron transport of resulting holes. However, successful engineering of Ga2O3 based devices requires critical control of doping density, Fermi level position, and free carrier concentration, providing opportunities for predictive process simulation. We use first-principles defect theory and defect equilibrium calculations to simulate a 3-step growth-annealing-quench protocol for hydrogen assisted Mg doping in Ga2O3, taking into account the hydrogen-oxygen-water gas phase equilibrium. We predict type conversion to a net p-type regime following O-rich annealing after growth under reducing conditions in the presence of H2. This process is similar to the Mg acceptor activation by H removal in GaN. We show that there is an optimal temperature that maximizes the net acceptor density during the equilibrium annealing step for a given Mg doping level. Quenching of non-equilibrium annealed samples then results in a Fermi level EF below mid-gap down to about EV +1.5 eV, creating a significant number of uncompensated neutral MgGa0 acceptors. The resulting free hole concentration in quenched samples is very low (109 – 1012 cm-3) due to deep energy level of these Mg acceptors, but this type converted Ga2O3 material can create a significant built-in field in a p-n junction with an adjoining n-type material. Additionally, the electron concentration is greatly suppressed in such acceptor-doped Ga2O3, which could enable the use as a current blocking layer to fabricate normally-off (enhancement-mode) vertical Ga2O3 based metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), and as a guard ring for edge termination in MOSFETs and Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) with increased breakdown voltage.

CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS,M↗

Combined experimental-theoretical study of electron mobility-limiting mechanisms in SrSnO 3

The discovery and development of ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors is crucial to accelerate the adoption of renewable power sources. This necessitates an UWBG semiconductor that exhibits robust doping with high carrier mobility over a wide range of carrier concentrations. Here we demonstrate that epitaxial thin films of the perovskite oxide Nd x Sr 1 – x SnO 3 (SSO) do exactly this. Nd is used as a donor to successfully modulate the carrier concentration over nearly two orders of magnitude, from 3.7 × 10 18 cm –3 to 2.0 × 10 20 cm –3 . Despite being grown on lattice-mismatched substrates and thus having relatively high structural disorder, SSO films exhibited the highest room-temperature mobility, ~70 cm 2 V –1 s –1 , among all known UWBG semiconductors in the range of carrier concentrations studied. The phonon-limited mobility is calculated from first principles and supplemented with a model to treat ionized impurity and Kondo scattering. This produces excellent agreement with experiment over a wide range of temperatures and carrier concentrations, and predicts the room-temperature phonon-limited mobility to be 76–99 cm 2 V –1 s –1 depending on carrier concentration. This work establishes a perovskite oxide as an emerging UWBG semiconductor candidate with potential for applications in power electronics

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗