Wafer-Scale Characterization of Orientation- and Doping-Density-Dependent β-Ga₂O₃ Single Crystals for Optoelectronic and Electrooptic Applications


Yılmaz S. N., Doğan U., Aydoğdu M., Aydın M., Yakut Ş., Bozoğlu Parto D., ...Daha Fazla

NANOTR-20, İzmir, Türkiye, 26 - 28 Ağustos 2026, ss.1, (Özet Bildiri)

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: İzmir
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Gallium oxide (β-Ga₂O₃) has emerged as a premier ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductor for next-generation high-power electronics and deep-ultraviolet optoelectronics because of its high breakdown field and scalable bulk growth. Due to its low monoclinic symmetry, the macroscopic properties of β-Ga₂O₃ are highly anisotropic, making orientation-aware substrate selection and process monitoring critical for advanced device engineering. This study systematically investigates the orientation-dependent structural and optical evolution of unintentionally doped (UID) and tin (Sn)-doped bulk β-Ga₂O₃ single crystals grown by the edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) method. To resolve the coupled effects of structural anisotropy and heavy donor incorporation, 2-inch wafers with (001) and (2̄01) surface orientations were comprehensively evaluated across a wide range of donor concentrations using angle-resolved high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and room-temperature optical absorption spectroscopy.

Angle-resolved HRXRD measurements confirm that all samples maintain a phase-pure monoclinic structure (space group C2/m) with no detectable secondary phases, such as SnO or SnO₂, at any azimuthal rotation angle. This demonstrates that both orientations successfully accommodate heavy n-type doping without phase degradation. However, structural quality shows a strong orientation dependence, indicating that the structural perfection of these substrates is fundamentally governed by their crystallographic plane. The (001)-oriented wafers display significantly narrower full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) values than the (2̄01) counterparts, indicating superior crystalline perfection and a minimized mosaic spread along the c-axis. Furthermore, Sn incorporation in the (001) series modestly narrows the FWHM values, suggesting that donor doping may mitigate native point defects or relax local strains during EFG melt growth while preserving the superior structural framework of the (001) plane.

Optical absorption analysis shows that both the crystallographic orientation and Sn-doping profiles strongly govern the fundamental band-edge response and the near-edge optical landscape. Under unpolarized conditions, the Tauc-derived effective optical bandgap of the UID samples is resolved at 4.65 eV for the (001) orientation and 4.63 eV for the (2̄01) orientation, directly reflecting the intrinsic optical anisotropy of the monoclinic lattice. With increasing Sn incorporation, both orientation series exhibit a significant, concentration-dependent blue shift of the absorption edge by up to 53 meV, demonstrating that the effective bandgap can be controllably expanded via the Burstein-Moss shift. This substantial blue shift is consistent with the filling of the lowest conduction-band states as the Fermi level moves upward. Logarithmic absorption-tail (ln(α)-E) analyses reveal distinct sub-bandgap disorder characteristics between the two orientations; the (2̄01) series shows a robust baseline, with the broad near-edge tail of the undoped crystal notably narrowing and stabilizing upon Sn introduction.

Keywords: β-Ga₂O₃, Single crystal, HRXRD, Structural anisotropy, Optical absorption, Burstein-Moss shift.