Laser damage mechanism and in situ observation of stacking fault relaxation in a β-Ga2O3 single crystal by the EFG method

• Published in: CrystEngComm 2021-05, Vol.23 (20), p.3724-3730
• Main Authors: Fu, Bo, He, Gaohang, Mu, Wenxiang, Yang, Li, Feng, Boyuan, Zhang, Kaihui, Wang, Huanyang, Zhang, Jin, Zhang, Shaojun, Jia, Zhitai, Shi, Yujun, Li, Yanbin, Ding, Sunan, Xutang Tao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cathodoluminescence; Crystal defects; Crystal growth; Crystal structure; EFG (crystal growth); Electron beams; Electron irradiation; Electron microscopes; Gallium oxides; Ion beams; Laser damage; Lasers; Luminescence; Luminous intensity; Neodymium lasers; Optical properties; Semiconductor lasers; Single crystals; Stacking faults; Transmission electron microscopy; YAG lasers
• ISSN: 1466-8033
• DOI: 10.1039/d1ce00131k

We designed an original and effective method to study the laser damage mechanism of a β-Ga2O3 single crystal grown by the edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) method. Structure destruction under irradiation with a high light field intensity of 1064 nm using an Nd:YAG laser was systematically studied in the β-Ga2O3 crystal. Four typical crystal defects, namely, voids, amorphous and nanocrystalline layers and high density stacking faults, were found using a focused ion beam–dual beam scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). For the first time, a laser damage mechanism in the β-Ga2O3 subsurface layer was built up and illuminated by microstructure analysis. The stacking fault relaxation of the β-Ga2O3 single crystal was observed in situ for the first time under electron beam irradiation. The cathodoluminescence (CL) spectrum further revealed the luminescence properties of the stacking faults.