Comparison of O2 and H2O as oxygen source for homoepitaxial growth of β-Ga2O3 layers by halide vapor phase epitaxy

Homoepitaxial growth of p-Ga2O3 layers by halide vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) using O-2 or H2O as an oxygen source was investigated by thermodynamic analysis, and compared with measured properties after growth. The thermodynamic analysis revealed that Ga2O3 growth is expected even at 1000 C-degrees using both oxygen sources due to positive driving forces for Ga2O3 deposition. The experimental results for homoepitaxial growth on (0 0 1) beta-Ga2O3 substrates showed that the surfaces of the layers grown with H2O were smoother than those grown with O-2, although the growth rate with H2O was approximately half that with O-2. However, in the homoepitaxial layer grown using H2O, incorporation of Si impurities with a concentration almost equal to the effective donor concentration (2 x 10(16)cm (3)) was confirmed, which was caused by decomposition of the quartz glass reactor due to the presence of hydrogen in the system. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.