Article: Effects of dry oxidation treatments on the characteristics of gallium oxide thin films prepared using sol-gel spin coating method Journal: International Journal of Nanotechnology (IJNT) 2022 Vol.19 No.2/3/4/5 pp.382 - 393 Abstract: In this paper, gallium oxide (Ga2O3) thin films were grown on silicon (Si) substrate using a relatively simple and low-cost sol-gel spin coating method followed a dry oxidation process. A series of dry oxidation experiments with different oxygen flow rates (i.e., from 2 L/min - 5 L/min) under 1100°C at 1 h were conducted. The effects of the oxygen gas flow rates on the deposited films' structural, surface morphology, and optical properties were investigated. All results revealed that crystalline Ga2O3 layers were formed. From the X-ray diffraction results, all deposited films exhibit two prominent diffraction peaks corresponding to the monoclinic β-Ga2O3 (110) and (002) diffraction planes. FESEM micrographs and AFM images topography revealed that a crystalline layer with nanocrystallite size was formed. The optical band gap energy of the deposited films was extracted from the ultraviolet-violet diffuse reflection spectra. The obtained energy bandgap is within the range of 4.69-4.79 eV, i.e., in reasonable agreement with the reported values. As the O2 flow rate increased from 2 L/min to 5 L/min, the crystallite size, the surface roughness, and the optical energy band gap of the β-Ga2O3 films were decreased with increasing O2 flow rate. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Effects of dry oxidation treatments on the characteristics of gallium oxide thin films prepared using sol-gel spin coating method

Authors: E. Kwok; M.A. Ab Hamid; T. Wang; S.S. Ng

Addresses: Institute of Nano Optoelectronics Research and Technology (INOR), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang, Malaysia ' Institute of Nano Optoelectronics Research and Technology (INOR), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang, Malaysia ' Institute of Nano Optoelectronics Research and Technology (INOR), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang, Malaysia ' Institute of Nano Optoelectronics Research and Technology (INOR), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang, Malaysia

Abstract: In this paper, gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃) thin films were grown on silicon (Si) substrate using a relatively simple and low-cost sol-gel spin coating method followed a dry oxidation process. A series of dry oxidation experiments with different oxygen flow rates (i.e., from 2 L/min - 5 L/min) under 1100°C at 1 h were conducted. The effects of the oxygen gas flow rates on the deposited films' structural, surface morphology, and optical properties were investigated. All results revealed that crystalline Ga₂O₃ layers were formed. From the X-ray diffraction results, all deposited films exhibit two prominent diffraction peaks corresponding to the monoclinic β-Ga₂O₃ (110) and (002) diffraction planes. FESEM micrographs and AFM images topography revealed that a crystalline layer with nanocrystallite size was formed. The optical band gap energy of the deposited films was extracted from the ultraviolet-violet diffuse reflection spectra. The obtained energy bandgap is within the range of 4.69-4.79 eV, i.e., in reasonable agreement with the reported values. As the O₂ flow rate increased from 2 L/min to 5 L/min, the crystallite size, the surface roughness, and the optical energy band gap of the β-Ga₂O₃ films were decreased with increasing O₂ flow rate.

Keywords: gallium oxide; thin film; sol-gel; spin coating; dry oxidation; annealing; X-ray diffraction; Kubelka-Munk function.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2022.124517

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2022 Vol.19 No.2/3/4/5, pp.382 - 393

Published online: 27 Jul 2022 *

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Title: Effects of dry oxidation treatments on the characteristics of gallium oxide thin films prepared using sol-gel spin coating method

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