Top-seeded solution growth and characterization of β-Ga2O3†

Abstract

β-Ga₂O₃ is an ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor with immense potential applications in high voltage, electronic, deep-ultraviolet optoelectronic, and other devices. However, to date, the growth of bulk β-Ga₂O₃ crystals has predominantly utilized melt methods, which are heavily dependent on specific growth vessels. In this work, bulk crystal β-Ga₂O₃ with a size of 7 × 13 × 4 mm³ was grown using TeO₂–Li₂CO₃ as flux via a top-seeded solution growth (TSSG) method for the first time. It is noteworthy that the saturation point of β-Ga₂O₃ in the flux was reduced to 1023 K, which was significantly lower than its melting point of 2073 K. The resulting β-Ga₂O₃ crystal exhibited well-formed faces, predominantly the (010), (100), (01), and (1) forms, which closely align with the ideal morphological predictions made by the Bravais–Friedel and Donnay–Harker methods. The full-width at half maximum (FWHM) of rocking curves for the (010) oriented plane was determined to be 140.4′′. This work provides a potential β-Ga₂O₃ crystal growth method performed at a low temperature with little platinum loss.