Influence of Li doping on the morphology and luminescence of Ga_2O_3 microrods grown by a vapor-solid method

Abstract

Gallium oxide microrods have been grown by an evaporation-deposition method by using a precursor containing lithium in order to check the influence of such dopant on the morphology and physical properties of the obtained ß-Ga_2O_3 structures. SEM studies show that the morphology is modified with respect to undoped gallium oxide, promoting the growth of micropyramids transversal to the microwire axis. Raman analysis reveals good crystal quality and an additional Raman peak centred at around 270 cm^(-1), characteristic of these samples and not present in undoped monoclinic gallium oxide. The presence of the Li^(+) ions also influences the luminescence emission by inducing a red-shift of the characteristic UV-blue defect band of gallium oxide. In addition, an intense sharp peak centred around 717 nm observed both by cathodoluminescence (CL) and photoluminescence (PL) is also attributed to the presence of these ions. The Li related luminescence features have also been investigated by PL excitation (PLE) spectra and by the temperature dependence of the luminescence.