Influence of High-Energy Proton Irradiation on β-Ga2O3 Nanobelt Field-Effect Transistors

The robust radiation resistance of wide-band gap materials is advantageous for space applications, where the high-energy particle irradiation deteriorates the performance of electronic devices. We report on the effects of proton irradiation of beta-Ga2O3 nanobelts, whose energy band gap is similar to 4.85 eV at room temperature. Back-gated field-effect transistor (FET) based on exfoliated quasi-two-dimensional beta-Ga2O3 nanobelts were exposed to a 10 MeV proton beam. The proton-dose- and time-dependent characteristics of the radiation-damaged FETs were systematically analyzed. A 73% decrease in the field-effect mobility and a positive shift of the threshold voltage were observed after proton irradiation at a fluence of 2 x 10(15) cm(-2). Greater radiation-induced degradation occurs in the conductive channel of the beta-Ga2O3 nanobelt than at the contact between the metal and beta-Ga2O3. The on/off ratio of the exfoliated beta-Ga2O3 FETs was maintained even after proton doses up to 2 x 10(15) cm(-2). The radiation -induced damage in the beta-Ga2O3-based FETs was significantly recovered after rapid thermal annealing at 500 degrees C. The outstanding radiation durability of beta-Ga2O3 renders it a promising building block for space applications.