Synthesis and characterization of β-Ga2O3 nanowires on 4H-SiC substrates via Au-catalyzed low-pressure chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

In this paper, we synthesized β-Ga₂O₃ nanowires on 4H-SiC substrates via Low-Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition (LPCVD) with Au as a catalyst. Au nanofilms of varying thicknesses (0–40 nm) were sputtered onto 4H-SiC substrates, followed by thermal treatment at 1000 °C. The morphological characteristics of the resultant β-Ga₂O₃ nanowires were systematically examined as a function of Au nanofilm thickness, facilitating a comprehensive analysis of the underlying growth mechanisms. The study elucidated the correlation between catalyst film thickness and nanowire formation dynamics during LPCVD synthesis. Results demonstrated that decreasing Au nanofilm thickness corresponds to β-Ga₂O₃ nanowires with reduced diameters, while simultaneously inhibiting the formation of columnar and lamellar nanostructures.