Large-Size Free-Standing Single-crystal b-Ga2O3 Membranes Fabricated by Hydrogen Implantation and Lift-Off

TL;DR

This study demonstrates a method to fabricate large, free-standing single-crystal b-Ga2O3 nanomembranes via hydrogen implantation and lift-off, enabling flexible electronics and optoelectronics with controlled properties.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel hydrogen implantation and lift-off process for creating large, high-quality b-Ga2O3 nanomembranes directly from epitaxial films, with potential for advanced device integration.

Findings

Successful fabrication of 1.2 μm thick b-Ga2O3 nanomembranes

Maintained crystal quality and optical properties after lift-off

Enabling flexible and substrate-independent device applications

Abstract

In this paper, we have demonstrated the large-size free-standing single-crystal b-Ga2O3 NMs fabricated by the hydrogen implantation and lift-off process directly from MOCVD grown b-Ga2O3 epifilms on native substrates. The optimum implantation conditions were simulated with a Monte-Carlo simulation to obtain the high hydrogen concentration with a narrow ion distribution at the desired depth. Two as grown b-Ga2O3 samples with different orientation ([100] and [001]) were used and successfully create 1.2 um thick b-Ga2O3 NMs without any physical damages. These b-Ga2O3 NMs were then transfer-printed onto rigid and flexible substrates such as SiC substrate and polyimide substrate. Various material characterizations were performed to investigate the crystal quality, surface morphology, optical property, mechanical property, and bandgap before and after the lift-off and revealed that good material quality is maintained. This result offers several benefits in that the thickness, doping, and size of b-Ga2O3 NMs can be fully controlled. Moreover, more advanced b-Ga2O3-based NM structures such as (AlxGa1-x)2O3/Ga2O3 heterostructure NMs can be directly created from their bulk epitaxy substrates thus this result provides a viable route for the realization of high performance b-Ga2O3 NM-based electronics and optoelectronics that can be built on various substrates and platforms.