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Two-step growth of β-Ga2O3 films on (100) diamond via low pressure chemical vapor deposition

MetadataDetails
Publication Date2021-02-16
JournalJournal of Vacuum Science & Technology A Vacuum Surfaces and Films
AuthorsMd Rezaul Karim, Zhaoying Chen, Zixuan Feng, Hsien‐Lien Huang, Jared M. Johnson
InstitutionsUnited States Naval Research Laboratory, The Ohio State University
Citations23

One of the major challenges in β-Ga2O3-based high power and high frequency devices is anticipated to be related to the low thermal conductivity of the material which is on the order of 10-30 W/m K. The use of diamond (thermal conductivity ∼2000 W/m K) as a substrate can be one effective approach for achieving better thermal management in β-Ga2O3-based devices. In this work, low pressure chemical vapor deposition was used to grow β-Ga2O3 films on (100) oriented, single-crystalline diamond substrates. A two-step growth technique was employed to avoid the oxidation of the diamond surface at high temperatures. From x-ray diffraction measurements, the β-Ga2O3 films grew along the ⟨−201⟩ crystalline axis with the β-Ga2O3 (002) planes rotated by ±24.3-27° with respect to the diamond (111) planes. High-magnification scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging revealed an abrupt β-Ga2O3/diamond interface without any voids which is essential for the high rate of heat transfer across the interface. N-type electrical conductivity was measured in a Si-doped β-Ga2O3 film with 1.4 × 1019 cm−3 electron concentration and ∼3 cm2/V s electron mobility. This work demonstrates the feasibility of heteroepitaxy of β-Ga2O3 films on diamond substrates for potential device design and device fabrication with efficient thermal management.