Interplay of the disorder and strain in gallium oxide

Yoo T., Xia X., Ren F., Jacobs A., Tadjer M.J., Pearton S., Kim H.

β-Ga2O3 is an emerging ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor, holding a tremendous potential for power-switching devices for next-generation high power electronics. The performance of such devices strongly relies on the precise control of electrical properties of β-Ga2O3, which can be achieved by implantation of dopant ions. However, a detailed understanding of the impact of ion implantation on the structure of β-Ga2O3 remains elusive. Here, using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, we investigate the nature of structural damage in ion-implanted β-Ga2O3 and its recovery upon heat treatment with the atomic-scale spatial resolution. We reveal that upon Sn ion implantation, Ga2O3 films undergo a phase transformation from the monoclinic β-phase to the defective cubic spinel [Formula: see text]-phase, which contains high-density antiphase boundaries. Using the planar defect models proposed for the [Formula: see text]-Al2O3, which has the same space group as β-Ga2O3, and atomic-resolution microscopy images, we identify that the observed antiphase boundaries are the {100}1/4 ⟨110⟩ type in cubic structure. We show that post-implantation annealing at 1100 °C under the N2 atmosphere effectively recovers the β-phase; however, nano-sized voids retained within the β-phase structure and a [Formula: see text]-phase surface layer are identified as remanent damage. Our results offer an atomic-scale insight into the structural evolution of β-Ga2O3 under ion implantation and high-temperature annealing, which is key to the optimization of semiconductor processing conditions for relevant device design and the theoretical understanding of defect formation and phase stability.

Titov A.I., Karabeshkin K.V., Struchkov A.I., Nikolaev V.I., Azarov A., Gogova D.S., Karaseov P.A.

The mechanisms of ion-induced defect formation and physical characteristics promoting radiation tolerance of wide and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors are not well-studied and understood. In contrast to gallium nitride (GaN), gallium oxide (Ga 2 O 3 ) can be crystallized in several polymorphs having different crystal structures and physical properties. In the preset paper, the damage buildup in wurtzite GaN as well as in corundum ( α -) and monoclinic ( β -) Ga 2 O 3 polymorphs bombarded at room temperature with 40 keV P + ions is studied by Rutherford backscattering/channeling spectrometry. We demonstrate that ion-beam-induced damage formation in Ga 2 O 3 is different from that observed in GaN and dramatically depends on the polymorph type. Both Ga 2 O 3 polymorphs cannot be rendered amorphous and exhibit considerably higher damage saturation at ∼90% of the full amorphization as compared to that of GaN. Intriguing enough the metastable α -Ga 2 O 3 demonstrates considerably higher radiation resistance as compared to the most thermodynamically stable β -Ga 2 O 3 polymorph. Furthermore, our results indicate that the sample surface and dynamic annealing play a significant role in the ion-induced damage formation processes in all Ga-based compounds studied. • Kinetics of ion irradiation damage accumulation in α- and β-Ga 2 O 3 and GaN is studied. • α -Ga 2 O 3 is more susceptible to radiation damage than GaN. • α -Ga 2 O 3 is considerably higher radiation resistant then the stable β -Ga 2 O 3 . • Mechanisms of radiation damage formation in the α - and β -Ga 2 O 3 are different.

Azarov A., Bazioti C., Venkatachalapathy V., Vajeeston P., Monakhov E., Kuznetsov A.

Polymorphs are common in nature and can be stabilized by applying external pressure in materials. The pressure and strain can also be induced by the gradually accumulated radiation disorder. However, in semiconductors, the radiation disorder accumulation typically results in the amorphization instead of engaging polymorphism. By studying these phenomena in gallium oxide we found that the amorphization may be prominently suppressed by the monoclinic to orthorhombic phase transition. Utilizing this discovery, a highly oriented single-phase orthorhombic film on the top of the monoclinic gallium oxide substrate was fabricated. Exploring this system, a novel mode of the lateral polymorphic regrowth, not previously observed in solids, was detected. In combination, these data envisage a new direction of research on polymorphs in ${\mathrm{Ga}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and, potentially, for similar polymorphic families in other materials.

Azarov A., Venkatachalapathy V., Monakhov E.V., Kuznetsov A.Y.

Ion bombardment provides an opportunity to study basic properties of intrinsic defects in materials since the radiation-induced disorder accumulation depends on the balance between defect generation and migration rates. In particular, variation of such parameters as irradiation temperature and ion flux, known in the literature as dose-rate effect, interconnects the macroscopically measured lattice disorder with the migration barrier of the dominating defects. In this work, we measured the dose-rate effect in monoclinic gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) and extracted its activation energy of 0.8 ± 0.1 eV in the range of 25–250 °C. Taking into account that the measurements were performed in the Ga-sublattice and considering 0.8 ± 0.1 eV in the context of theoretical data, we interpreted it as the migration barrier for Ga vacancies in β-Ga2O3, limiting the process. Additionally, we observed and took into account an interesting form of the lattice relaxation due to radiation-induced disorder buildup, interpreted in terms of the compressive strain accumulation, potentially trigging phase transitions in Ga2O3 lattice.

Nikolskaya A., Belov A., Mikhaylov A., Konakov A., Tetelbaum D., Korolev D.

The study of hexagonal silicon polytypes attracts special attention due to their unique physical properties compared to the traditional cubic phase of Si. Thus, for some hexagonal phases, a significant improvement in the emission properties has been demonstrated. In this work, the luminescent properties of SiO2/Si structures irradiated with Kr+ ions at different doses and annealed at 800 °C have been systematically investigated. For such structures, a photoluminescence line at ∼ 1240 nm is observed and associated with the formation of hexagonal 9R-Si phase inclusions. It is found that the variation in the thickness of oxide film and the relative position of ion distribution profile and film/substrate interface leads to a regular change in the luminescence intensity. The nature of the observed dependencies is discussed as related mainly to the interplay between the factors contributing to the formation of 9R-Si inclusions and the generation of radiation defects in the Si substrate—centers of nonradiative recombination. The revealed regularities suggest optimal ion irradiation conditions for synthesis of optically active 9R-Si phase in diamond-like silicon.

Redjem W., Durand A., Herzig T., Benali A., Pezzagna S., Meijer J., Kuznetsov A.Y., Nguyen H.S., Cueff S., Gérard J.-., Robert-Philip I., Gil B., Caliste D., Pochet P., Abbarchi M., et. al.

Given its potential for integration and scalability, silicon is likely to be a key platform for large-scale quantum technologies. Individual electron-encoded artificial atoms, formed by either impurities or quantum dots, have emerged as a promising solution for silicon-based integrated quantum circuits. However, single qubits featuring an optical interface, which is needed for long-distance exchange of information, have not yet been isolated in silicon. Here we report the isolation of single optically active point defects in a commercial silicon-on-insulator wafer implanted with carbon atoms. These artificial atoms exhibit a bright, linearly polarized single-photon emission with a quantum efficiency of the order of unity. This single-photon emission occurs at telecom wavelengths suitable for long-distance propagation in optical fibres. Our results show that silicon can accommodate single isolated optical point defects like in wide-bandgap semiconductors, despite a small bandgap (1.1 eV) that is unfavourable for such observations. Carbon-related point defects can be isolated in a commercial silicon-on-insulator wafer, acting as artificial atoms that provide efficient polarized single-photon emission at wavelengths suitable for long-distance propagation in optical fibres.

Vásquez G.C., Bathen M.E., Galeckas A., Bazioti C., Johansen K.M., Maestre D., Cremades A., Prytz Ø., Moe A.M., Kuznetsov A.Y., Vines L.

Single-photon emitting point defects in semiconductors have emerged as strong candidates for future quantum technology devices. In the present work, we exploit crystalline particles to investigate relevant defect localizations, emission shifting and waveguiding. Specifically, emission from 6H-SiC micro- and nanoparticles ranging from 100 nm to 5 $\mu$m in size is collected using cathodoluminescence (CL), and we monitor signals attributed to the Si vacancy (V$_{\textrm{Si}}$) as a function of its location. Clear shifts in the emission wavelength are found for emitters localized in the particle center and at the edges. By comparing spatial CL maps with strain analysis carried out in transmission electron microscopy, we attribute the emission shifts to compressive strain of 2-3% along the particle a-direction. Thus, embedding V$_{\textrm{Si}}$ qubit defects within SiC nanoparticles offers an interesting and versatile opportunity to tune single-photon emission energies, while simultaneously ensuring ease of addressability via a self-assembled SiC nanoparticle matrix.

Anber E.A., Foley D., Lang A.C., Nathaniel J., Hart J.L., Tadjer M.J., Hobart K.D., Pearton S., Taheri M.L.

Ion implantation-induced effects were studied in Ge implanted β-Ga2O3 with the fluence and energy of 3 × 1013 cm−2/60 keV, 5 × 1013 cm−2/100 keV, and 7 × 1013 cm−2/200 keV using analytical electron microscopy via scanning/transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and precession electron diffraction via TopSpin. Imaging shows an isolated band of damage after Ge implantation, which extends ∼130 nm from the sample surface and corresponds to the projected range of the ions. Electron diffraction demonstrates that the entirety of the damage band is the κ phase, indicating an implantation-induced phase transition from β to κ-Ga2O3. Post-implantation annealing at 1150 °C for 60 s under the O2 atmosphere led to a back transformation of κ to β; however, an ∼17 nm damage zone remained at the sample surface. Despite the back transformation from κ to β with annealing, O K-edge spectra show changes in the fine structure between the pristine, implanted, and implanted-annealed samples, and topspin strain analysis shows a change in strain between the two samples. These data indicate differences in the electronic/chemical structure, where the change of the oxygen environment extended beyond the implantation zone (∼130 nm) due to the diffusion of Ge into the bulk material, which, in turn, causes a tensile strain of 0.5%. This work provides a foundation for understanding of the effects of ion implantation on defect/phase evolution in β-Ga2O3 and the related recovery mechanism, opening a window toward building a reliable device for targeted applications.

Wallace J. ., Aji L. ., Shao L., Kucheyev S. .

The formation of stable radiation damage in solids often proceeds via complex dynamic annealing (DA) processes, involving point defect migration and interaction. The dependence of DA on irradiation conditions remains poorly understood even for Si. Here, we use a pulsed ion beam method to study defect interaction dynamics in Si bombarded in the temperature range from ∼-30 °C to 210 °C with ions in a wide range of masses, from Ne to Xe, creating collision cascades with different densities. We demonstrate that the complexity of the influence of irradiation conditions on defect dynamics can be reduced to a deterministic effect of a single parameter, the average cascade density, calculated by taking into account the fractal nature of collision cascades. For each ion species, the DA rate exhibits two well-defined Arrhenius regions where different DA mechanisms dominate. These two regions intersect at a critical temperature, which depends linearly on the cascade density. The low-temperature DA regime is characterized by an activation energy of ∼0.1 eV, independent of the cascade density. The high-temperature regime, however, exhibits a change in the dominant DA process for cascade densities above ∼0.04 at.%, evidenced by an increase in the activation energy. These results clearly demonstrate a crucial role of the collision cascade density and can be used to predict radiation defect dynamics in Si.

Debelle A., Crocombette J., Boulle A., Chartier A., Jourdan T., Pellegrino S., Bachiller-Perea D., Carpentier D., Channagiri J., Nguyen T., Garrido F., Thomé L.

Modification of materials using ion beams has become a widespread route to improve or design materials for advanced applications, from ion doping for microelectronic devices to emulation of nuclear reactor environments. Yet, despite decades of studies, major issues regarding ion/solid interactions are not solved, one of them being the lattice-strain development process in irradiated crystals. In this work, we address this question using a consistent approach that combines X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements with both molecular dynamics (MD) and rate equation cluster dynamics (RECD) simulations. We investigate four distinct materials that differ notably in terms of crystalline structure and nature of the atomic bonding. We demonstrate that these materials exhibit a common behaviour with respect to the strain development process. In fact, a strain build-up followed by a strain relaxation is observed in the four investigated cases. The strain variation is unambiguously ascribed to a change in the defect configuration, as revealed by MD simulations. Strain development is due to the clustering of interstitial defects into dislocation loops, while the strain release is associated with the disappearance of these loops through their integration into a network of dislocation lines. RECD calculations of strain depth profiles, which are in agreement with experimental data, indicate that the driving force for the change in the defect nature is the defect clustering process. This study paves the way for quantitative predictions of the microstructure changes in irradiated materials.

Boulle A., Debelle A., Wallace J.B., Bayu Aji L.B., Kucheyev S.O.

Mechanisms of radiation damage buildup in 3C-SiC remain poorly understood. Here, we use X-ray diffraction in combination with numerical simulations to study depth profiles of radiation-produced strain and lattice damage in 3C-SiC bombarded in the temperature range of 25–200 °C with 500 keV Ar ions. Results reveal increased defect recombination with increasing temperature, with a critical amorphization fluence increasing from 0.17 to 0.44 displacements per atom. The amorphization process is found to be correlated with the evolution of lattice strain. We find that, at fluences corresponding to the onset of amorphization, lattice strain is ∼2% and is independent of temperature. With continuing bombardment above the onset of amorphization, the strain in the crystal bulk increases and reaches a saturation value that decreases from 7% to 5% with increasing temperature. Based on strain profiles, we compute depth profiles of the effective concentration of point defect clusters in the crystalline phase. Bombardment at higher temperatures results in lower maximum defect concentrations pointing to enhanced defect mobility.

Peres M., Lorenz K., Alves E., Nogales E., Méndez B., Biquard X., Daudin B., Víllora E.G., Shimamura K.

Abstract β-Ga2O3 bulk single crystals were doped by ion implantation at temperatures from room temperature to 1000 °C, using a 300 keV Europium beam with a fluence of 1  ×  1015 at cm−2. Rising the implantation temperature from room temperature to 400–600 °C resulted in a significant increase of the substitutional Eu fraction and of the number of Eu ions in the 3+  charge state as well as in a considerable decrease of implantation damage. Eu is found in both charge states 2+  and 3+  and their relative fractions are critically dependent on the implantation and annealing temperature, suggesting that defects play an important role in stabilizing one of the charge states. The damage recovery during post-implant annealing is a complex process and typically defect levels first increase for intermediate annealing temperatures and a significant recovery of the crystal only starts around 1000 °C. Cathodoluminescence spectra are dominated by the sharp Eu3+ related intra-ionic 4f transition lines in the red spectral region. They show a strong increase of the emission intensity with increasing annealing temperature, in particular for samples implanted at elevated temperature, indicating the optical activation of Eu3+ ions. However, no direct correlation of emission intensity and Eu3+ fraction was found, again pointing to the important role of defects on the physical properties of these luminescent materials.

Wendler E., Treiber E., Baldauf J., Wolf S., Ronning C.

Ion implantation induced effects were studied in single crystalline 〈0 1 0〉 oriented bulk β-Ga 2 O 3 at room temperature using P, Ar and Sn ions with ion fluences ranging from 1 × 10 11 up to 2 × 10 15  cm −2 . Rutherford backscattering spectrometry in channelling configuration (RBS) using He ions of various ion energies was applied for damage analysis. Clear damage peaks are visible in the RBS spectra. The concentration of displaced lattice atoms in the maximum of the distribution (as deduced from the channelling spectra) increases with increasing ion fluence up to a saturation value of about 90%. Once this level is reached, further implantation only leads to a broadening of the distribution, while the concentration remains at 90%. The ion fluence dependence of maximum damage concentration is represented by a common model assuming two types of defects: point defects (which can recombine with those already existing from previous ion impacts) and non-recombinable damage clusters. The damage produced dominantly consists of randomly displaced lattice atoms, which indicates point defects and point defect complexes. For higher damage levels also a contribution of correlated displaced lattice atoms can be identified. This suggests that the damage clusters are not amorphous. A possible explanation of the observed results could be the formation of another phase of Ga 2 O 3 .

Maurer P.C., Kucsko G., Latta C., Jiang L., Yao N.Y., Bennett S.D., Pastawski F., Hunger D., Chisholm N., Markham M., Twitchen D.J., Cirac J.I., Lukin M.D.

Extending Quantum Memory Practical applications in quantum communication and quantum computation require the building blocks—quantum bits and quantum memory—to be sufficiently robust and long-lived to allow for manipulation and storage (see the Perspective by Boehme and McCarney). Steger et al. (p. 1280) demonstrate that the nuclear spins of 31P impurities in an almost isotopically pure sample of 28Si can have a coherence time of as long as 192 seconds at a temperature of ∼1.7 K. In diamond at room temperature, Maurer et al. (p. 1283) show that a spin-based qubit system comprised of an isotopic impurity (13C) in the vicinity of a color defect (a nitrogen-vacancy center) could be manipulated to have a coherence time exceeding one second. Such lifetimes promise to make spin-based architectures feasible building blocks for quantum information science. Defects in diamond can be operated as quantum memories at room temperature. Stable quantum bits, capable both of storing quantum information for macroscopic time scales and of integration inside small portable devices, are an essential building block for an array of potential applications. We demonstrate high-fidelity control of a solid-state qubit, which preserves its polarization for several minutes and features coherence lifetimes exceeding 1 second at room temperature. The qubit consists of a single 13C nuclear spin in the vicinity of a nitrogen-vacancy color center within an isotopically purified diamond crystal. The long qubit memory time was achieved via a technique involving dissipative decoupling of the single nuclear spin from its local environment. The versatility, robustness, and potential scalability of this system may allow for new applications in quantum information science.

Ziegler J.F., Ziegler M.D., Biersack J.P.

SRIM is a software package concerning the S topping and R ange of I ons in M atter. Since its introduction in 1985, major upgrades are made about every six years. Currently, more than 700 scientific citations are made to SRIM every year. For SRIM-2010 , the following major improvements have been made: (1) About 2800 new experimental stopping powers were added to the database, increasing it to over 28,000 stopping values. (2) Improved corrections were made for the stopping of ions in compounds. (3) New heavy ion stopping calculations have led to significant improvements on SRIM stopping accuracy. (4) A self-contained SRIM module has been included to allow SRIM stopping and range values to be controlled and read by other software applications. (5) Individual interatomic potentials have been included for all ion/atom collisions, and these potentials are now included in the SRIM package. A full catalog of stopping power plots can be downloaded at www.SRIM.org . Over 500 plots show the accuracy of the stopping and ranges produced by SRIM along with 27,000 experimental data points. References to the citations which reported the experimental data are included.

Zhao J., Fernández J.G., Azarov A., He R., Prytz Ø., Nordlund K., Hua M., Djurabekova F., Kuznetsov A.

Pearton S.J., Ren F., Polyakov A.Y., Yakimov E.B., Chernyak L., Haque A.

Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) exists in different polymorphic forms, including the trigonal (α), monoclinic (β), cubic (γ), and orthorhombic (κ) phases, each exhibiting distinct structural and electronic properties. Among these, β-Ga2O3 is the most thermodynamically stable and widely studied for high-power electronics applications due to its ability to be grown as high-quality bulk crystals. However, metastable phases such as α-, γ-, and κ-Ga2O3 offer unique properties, including wider bandgap or strong polarization and ferroelectric characteristics, making them attractive for specialized applications. This paper summarizes the radiation hardness of these polymorphs by analyzing the reported changes in minority carrier diffusion length (LD) and carrier removal rates under various irradiation conditions, including protons, neutrons, alpha particles, and gamma rays. β-Ga2O3 demonstrates high radiation tolerance with LD reductions correlated to the introduction of electron traps (E2*, E3, and E4) and gallium–oxygen vacancy complexes (VGa–VO). α-Ga2O3 exhibits slightly better radiation hardness similar to κ-Ga2O3, which also shows minimal LD changes postirradiation, likely due to suppressed defect migration. γ-Ga2O3 is the least thermodynamically stable, but surprisingly is not susceptible to radiation-induced damage, and is stabilized under Ga-deficient conditions. The study highlights the role of polymorph-specific defect dynamics, doping concentrations, and nonuniform electrical properties in determining radiation hardness. We also discuss the effect of radiation exposure on the use of NiO/Ga2O3 heterojunction rectifiers that provide superior electrical performance relative to Schottky rectifiers. The presence of NiO does change some aspects of the response to radiation. Alloying with Al2O3 further modulates the bandgap of Ga2O3 and defect behavior, offering potentially tunable radiation tolerance. These findings provide critical insights into the radiation response of Ga2O3 polymorphs, with implications for their use in aerospace and radiation-hardened power electronics. Future research should focus on direct comparisons of polymorphs under identical irradiation conditions, defect identification, and annealing strategies to enhance radiation tolerance.

Hu Y., Su D., Luo T., Lai Y., Liao Z., Zeng C., Zhang X., Wong M.H., Chen Z., Pei Y., Wang G., Lu X.

This work reveals the significant advantages of high-temperature nitrogen (N) ion implantation for fabricating current-blocking layers (CBLs) in β-Ga2O3. A comparative investigation on the structural and electrical properties of N-implanted β-Ga2O3 was conducted under different implantation temperatures and post-implantation annealing (PIA) conditions. The results showed that the high-temperature implantation (HTI) at 500 °C, compared to the room-temperature implantation (RTI), introduced fewer structural defects and less lattice distortion to β-Ga2O3. The HTI-formed CBL demonstrated a far superior current-blocking capability than those formed by the RTI with/without a PIA, in terms of a much lower and more stable leakage current and a significantly enhanced breakdown voltage. Additionally, lateral MOSFETs fabricated with the HTI isolation exhibited a three orders of magnitude lower off-state leakage current while maintaining excellent on-state performance, compared to those using the isolation formed by RTI with PIA. These findings indicate that the in situ dynamic annealing effect of HTI effectively reduces implantation-induced damage, enhances impurity activation, and improves the overall performance of the N-implanted CBLs in β-Ga2O3.

Klevtsov A., Karaseov P., Azarov A., Karabeshkin K., Fedorenko E., Titov A., Kuznetsov A.

The rhombohedral phase of gallium oxide (α-Ga2O3) is of interest because of its highest bandgap among the rest of the Ga2O3 polymorphs, making it particularly attractive in applications. However, even though the ion beam processing is routinely used in device technology, the understanding of radiation phenomena in α-Ga2O3 is not mature. Here, we study non-linear effects for radiation disorder formation in α-Ga2O3 by varying both the defect generation rate and the density of collision cascades, enabled by comparing monoatomic and cluster ion implants, also applying systematic variations of ion fluxes. In particular, we show that the collision cascade density governs the surface amorphization rates, also affected by the ion flux variations. These trends are explained in terms of the non-linear in-cascade and inter-cascade defect interactions occurring during ballistic and dynamic defect annealing stages. As such, these data reveal new physics of the radiation phenomena in α-Ga2O3 and may be applicable for more predictive ion beam processing of α-Ga2O3-based devices.

Ratajczak R., Sarwar M., Kalita D., Jozwik P., Mieszczynski C., Matulewicz J., Wilczopolska M., Wozniak W., Kentsch U., Heller R., Guziewicz E.

AbstractRE-doped β-Ga2O3 seems attractive for future high-power LEDs operating in high irradiation environments. In this work, we pay special attention to the issue of radiation-induced defect anisotropy in β-Ga2O3, which is crucial for device manufacturing. Using the RBS/c technique, we have carefully studied the structural changes caused by implantation and post-implantation annealing in two of the most commonly used crystallographic orientations of β-Ga2O3, namely the (-201) and (010). The analysis was supported by advanced computer simulations using the McChasy code. Our studies reveal a strong dependence of the structural damage induced by Yb-ion implantation on the crystal orientation, with a significantly higher level of extended defects observed in the (-201) direction than for the (010). In contrast, the concentration and behavior of simple defects seem similar for both oriented crystals, although their evolution suggests the co-existence of two different types of defects in the implanted zone with their different sensitivity to both, radiation and annealing. It has also been found that Yb ions mostly occupy the interstitial positions in β-Ga2O3 crystals that remain unchanged after annealing. The location is independent of the crystal orientations. We believe that these studies noticeably extend the knowledge of the radiation-induced defect structure, because they dispel doubts about the differences in the damage level depending on crystal orientation, and are important for further practical applications.

Sarwar M., Ratajczak R., Mieszczynski C., Wierzbicka A., Gieraltowska S., Heller R., Eisenwinder S., Wozniak W., Guziewicz E.

Radiation-induced crystal lattice damage and its recovery in wide bandgap oxides, in particular beta-gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3), is a complex process. This paper presents the detailed study of defect accumulation in the β-Ga2O3 single crystal implanted with Ytterbium (Yb) ions and the impact of Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) on the defects formed. The (2¯01)oriented β-Ga2O3 single crystals were implanted with eleven fluences of Yb ions ranging from 1 × 1012 to 5 × 1015 at/cm2. Channeling Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS/c) was used to study the crystal lattice damage induced by ion implantation and the level of structure recovery after annealing. The quantitative and qualitative analyses of collected spectra were performed by computer simulations. As a result, we present the first defect accumulation curve of β-Ga2O3 implanted with rare earth ion that reveals a two-step damage process. In the first stage, the damage of the β-Ga2O3 is inconspicuous, but begins to grow rapidly from the fluence of 1 × 1013 at/cm2, reaching the saturation at the random level for the Yb ion fluence of 1 × 1014 at/cm2. Further irradiation causes the damage peak to become bimodal, indicating that at least two new defect forms develop for the higher ion fluence. These two damage zones differently react to annealing, suggesting that they could origin from two phases, the amorphization phase and the new crystalline phase of Ga2O3. High-resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD) demonstrates the presence of strain and the γ phase of Ga2O3 after implantation, which disappear after annealing.

Nikolskaya A., Revin A., Korolev D., Mikhaylov A., Trushin V., Kudrin A., Zdoroveyshchev A., Zdoroveyshchev D., Yunin P., Drozdov M., Konakov A., Tetelbaum D.

Ion implantation is a promising method for the development of β-Ga2O3-based technologies and devices. However, the physical principles of ion implantation for this particular semiconductor are still at the early stage of development. One of the primary tasks is the study of electrical properties of the ion-doped layers. In this work, we have investigated the electrical parameters of layers produced by ion implantation of a shallow donor impurity—silicon—into a semi-insulating β-Ga2O3 doped with iron and having a surface orientation of (−201). It is established that the activation efficiency of the implanted impurity significantly exceeds unity after post-implantation annealing at high temperatures. This indicates that not only silicon itself contributes to conductivity, but also defects formed with its (and, probably, iron) participation are involved. The temperature dependence of electron mobility is consistent with the theoretically calculated one under the assumption that, apart from shallow donors, there are also deep defect-associated donors and acceptors. It is assumed that the established properties are specific for the case of direct Si implantation into β-Ga2O3 doped with Fe.

Zolnai Z., Petrik P., Németh A., Volk J., Bosi M., Seravalli L., Fornari R.

The crystallographic structure of thin Ga2O3 layers grown by metal–organic vapour phase epitaxy on Al2O3 substrate was analyzed by Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry/Channeling (RBS/C) angular yield scans performed around the c-axis of as-grown Ga2O3. The measured widths and minimum yields of the scan curves for the Ga and O component were compared to calculations based on the continuum steering potential model. The results obtained are consistent with a crystal structure containing oxygen atoms arranged in a 4H hexagonal closely packed lattice and Ga atoms preferentially occupying octahedral interstitial sites in the 4H cells - a structure closely related to the ε-Ga2O3 polymorph. After high-temperature annealing remarkable structural transformation is detected via significant changes in the RBS/C spectra. This effect is related to the hexagonal-monoclinic, i.e., ε-β phase transformation of Ga2O3. Spectroscopic ellipsometry spectra of as-grown and annealed samples can be best fitted using a vertically graded single-layer B-spline model. Significant differences in the dielectric functions were found, showing bandgap reduction for long term annealing. These features are related to the ε-β polymorphic transformation, variation of the preferred crystallographic orientation upon annealing, and differences in residual strain and defect structure determined by the annealing conditions.

Voznyuk G.V., Grigorenko I.N., Lila A.S., Mitrofanov M.I., Nikolaev D.N., Evtikhiev V.P.

The effect of ion energy in a focused ion beam in the range 12–30 keV on the formation depth of nonradiative recombination centers during etching of the Al0.18Ga0.82As/GaAs/Al0.18Ga0.82As double heterostructure has been studied. It is shown that an increase in the ion energy leads to an increase in the concentration and propagation depth of radiation defects. It was found that during etching of focused ion beam with ion energies above 15 keV, the depth of formation of radiation defects exceeds 900 nm, which does not correspond to the calculations in the Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter.

Polyakov A.Y., Vasilev A.A., Shchemerov I.V., Chernykh A.V., Shetinin I.V., Zhevnerov E.V., Kochkova A.I., Lagov P.B., Miakonkikh A.V., Pavlov Y.S., Kobets U.A., Lee I., Kuznetsov A., Pearton S.J.

Lightly n-type β-Ga2O3 grown by Halide Vapor Phase Epitaxy (HVPE) on heavily n-type doped β-Ga2O3 substrate was implanted with 1 MeV O ions to a fluence of 1016 cm−2. The film remained β-polymorph and showed no broadening of the x-ray rocking curve width after irradiation even though the calculated number of primary defects was very high. The implanted region was characterized by a strong compensation, likely due to the presence of a high density of split Ga vacancy acceptors. Treatment of the irradiated film in dense hydrogen plasma at 330 °C for 0.5 h led to the formation of a conducting surface layer about 0.5 µm-thick with carrier density 1017 cm−3, a suppression of the signal due to Fe acceptors in Deep Level transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) and a strong enhancement of DLTS peak caused by centers at Ec-0.74 eV (so called E2 * traps). The mechanism appears to be that hydrogen plasma treatment leads to creation of a high number of donor states due complexing of hydrogen with Ga vacancies and to passivation of Fe acceptors with hydrogen donors.

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.

Defects created in lightly Sn-doped (2 × 1016 cm−3) (010)-oriented bulk β-Ga2O3 implanted with 1.2 MeV, 3 × 1015 cm−2 197Au+ 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 Ec-0.7 eV, Ec-1.05 eV, Ec-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-Ga2O3. 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.

Nikolskaya A.A., Korolev D.S., Trushin V.N., Yunin P.A., Mikhaylov A.N., Belov A.I., Konakov A.A., Okulich E.V., Pavlov D.A., Tetelbaum D.I.

The properties of semiconductors are highly dependent on their crystalline structure. The formation of metastable polytypes under the action of external mechanical stresses leads to a change in the properties of the initial materials. In particular, for hexagonal silicon polytypes, an improvement in light-emitting properties can be observed compared to diamond-like silicon. In this work, the photoluminescent properties of silicon samples with the 9R-Si hexagonal phase synthesized by implanting Kr+ ions into the SiO2/Si system have been studied. The effect of post-implantation annealing conditions on the evolution of PL peaks in the spectral range around 1240 nm is analyzed. The contribution to the observed PL peaks of the light-emitting 9R-Si phase and W, S1, S2 defects associated with radiation damage in silicon substrates is discussed. It is shown that the formation of the 9R-Si phase and associated PL are affected by mechanical stresses formed in the SiO2 film upon irradiation.

Esteves D.M., Rodrigues A.L., Alves L.C., Alves E., Dias M.I., Jia Z., Mu W., Lorenz K., Peres M.

AbstractIon-beam-induced luminescence (IBIL) measurements were performed in Cr-doped β-Ga2O3 using both protons and helium ions, showing a strong enhancement of the Cr3+ luminescence upon ion irradiation. Theoretical modelling of the IBIL intensity curves as a function of the fluence allowed estimating the effective cross-sections associated with the defect-induced IBIL enhancement and quenching processes. The results suggest that sensitizing the Cr3+ luminescence is more efficient for H+ than for He+ irradiation. Thermoluminescence (TL) studies were performed in the pristine sample, with no TL signal being observed in the spectral region corresponding to the Cr3+ emission. In agreement with the IBIL study, upon ion irradiation (with either protons or helium ions), this TL emission is activated. Moreover, it can be quenched by annealing at 923 K for 10 s, thus revealing the role played by the defects induced by the irradiation. These results show that the irradiation-induced defects play a major role in the activation of the Cr3+ luminescence, a fact that can be exploited for radiation sensing and dosimetry.

Azarov A., Venkatachalapathy V., Lee I., Kuznetsov A.

Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) exhibits complex behavior under ion irradiation since ion-induced disorder affects not only the functional properties but can provoke polymorphic transformations in Ga2O3. A conventional way used to minimize the lattice disorder is by doing postirradiation anneals. An alternative approach is to prevent the disorder accumulation from the beginning, by doing implants at elevated temperatures, so that a significant fraction of the disorder dynamically anneals out in radiation-assisted processes. Here, we use these two approaches for the minimization of radiation disorder in monoclinic β-Ga2O3 implanted to a dose below the threshold required for the polymorphic transformations. The results obtained by a combination of channeling and x-ray diffraction techniques revealed that implants at 300 °C effectively suppress the defect formation in β-Ga2O3. On the other hand, in order to reach similar crystalline quality in the samples implanted at room temperature, postirradiation anneals in excess of 900 °C are necessary.