Improvement of Schottky Contacts of Gallium Oxide (Ga₂O₃) Nanowires for UV Applications

Interest in the synthesis and fabrication of gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃) nanostructures as wide bandgap semiconductor-based ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors has recently increased due to their importance in cases of deep-UV photodetectors operating in high power/temperature conditions. Due to their unique properties, i.e., higher surface-to-volume ratio and quantum effects, these nanostructures can significantly enhance the sensitivity of detection. In this work, two Ga₂O₃ nanostructured films with different nanowire densities and sizes obtained by thermal oxidation of Ga on quartz, in the presence and absence of Ag catalyst, were investigated. The electrical properties influenced by the density of Ga₂O₃ nanowires (NWs) were analyzed to define the configuration of UV detection. The electrical measurements were performed on two different electric contacts and were located at distances of 1 and 3 mm. Factors affecting the detection performance of Ga₂O₃ NWs film, such as the distance between metal contacts (1 and 3 mm apart), voltages (5-20 V) and transient photocurrents were discussed in relation to the composition and nanostructure of the Ga₂O₃ NWs film.