The effects of hydrogenation on the properties of heavy ion irradiated β-Ga2O3

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics 2023-05, Vol.34 (15), p.1201, Article 1201
• Main Authors: Polyakov, A. Y., Kuznetsov, A., Azarov, A., Miakonkikh, A. V., Chernykh, A. V., Vasilev, A. A., Shchemerov, I. V., Kochkova, A. I., Matros, N. R., Pearton, S. J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Deep level transient spectroscopy; Defects; Electric potential; Electron traps; Energy levels; Gallium oxides; Heavy ions; Hydrogen plasma; Implantation; Insulation; Materials Science; Optical and Electronic Materials; Photocapacitance; Photoelectric effect; Spectra; Spectrum analysis; Tin; Voltage
• ISSN: 0957-4522; 1573-482X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10854-023-10628-y

Defects created in lightly Sn-doped (2 × 10 16  cm −3 ) (010)-oriented bulk β-Ga 2 O 3 implanted with 1.2 MeV, 3 × 10 15  cm −2 197 Au + ions before and after treatment in hydrogen plasmas at 330 °C were studied by X-ray measurements, Rutherford backscattering spectra, capacitance–voltage, current–voltage, admittance spectra and deep level transient spectroscopy. Au implantation creates defects that produce total depletion of carriers in the top 1.5 µm and introduces electron traps with energy levels at E c -0.7 eV, E c -1.05 eV, E c -0.45 eV, and deep acceptors with optical ionization thresholds near 1.3 eV, 2.3 eV and 3.1 eV, similar to the centers dominating the spectra of deep traps in β-Ga 2 O 3 . Hydrogen plasma treatment greatly enhances the photocurrent and photo-capacitance and decreases the width of the insulating layer produced by Au implantation. The results can be explained by hydrogen passivation of the triply charged Ga vacancies and doubly charged split Ga vacancies acceptors in the implanted region, returning part of this region to n-type conductivity.