Universal radiation tolerant semiconductor.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Semiconductor Physics
• Radiation Damage

Background:

• Crystalline materials typically degrade or amorphize under high radiation fluences.
• Existing semiconductors like Silicon (Si) show limited radiation tolerance, becoming amorphous after minimal atomic displacement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the radiation tolerance of gamma/beta (γ/β) double polymorph Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) structures.
• To elucidate the mechanisms behind the observed high radiation tolerance in γ/β Ga2O3.
• To understand the β-to-γ Ga2O3 transformation under irradiation.

Main Methods:

• Irradiation experiments at room temperature using gamma/beta (γ/β) double polymorph Ga2O3.
• Analysis of material crystallinity and disorder accumulation up to hundreds of displacements per atom.
• Investigating the role of Ga- and O-sublattice properties in radiation response.
• Studying the β-to-γ Ga2O3 transformation as a function of disorder and implanted species.

Main Results:

• γ/β Ga2O3 structures exhibit remarkable radiation tolerance, withstanding high disorder levels without significant loss of crystallinity.
• The oxygen sublattice in γ-Ga2O3 demonstrates a strong recrystallization trend, counteracting atomic displacement.
• The transformation from β-Ga2O3 to γ-Ga2O3 is linked to increased disorder and influenced by implanted atom chemistry.

Conclusions:

• γ/β double polymorph Ga2O3 demonstrates superior radiation tolerance compared to conventional semiconductors like Si.
• The unique sublattice properties and recrystallization behavior of γ-Ga2O3 contribute to its radiation resistance.
• Ga2O3 with γ/β double polymorph structures represents a new class of universally radiation-tolerant semiconductors.