Preparation of highly conductive, deep ultraviolet transparent β-Ga2O3 thin film at low deposition temperatures

beta-Ga2O3 is a unique oxide that exhibits deep ultraviolet transparency as well as good electric conductivity when dopants are introduced. With the purpose of realizing highly conductive films using this material, tin doped Ga2O3 films were deposited on Al2O3 (0001) substrates by the pulsed laser deposition method. ((2) over bar 01) oriented beta-phase films were grown at substrate temperatures of between 380 degreesC and 435 degreesC, and deep ultraviolet transparent films with a conductivity as high as 8.2 S cm(-1) were obtained at 380 degreesC under laser ablation with a low repetition rate of 1 Hz. With a further increase in the deposition temperature, the films underwent a crystalline phase transition, accompanied by an abrupt decrease in conductivity. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V All rights reserved.