Materials (Nov 2023)

Study of β-Ga<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Ceramics Synthesized under Powerful Electron Beam

  • Abay B. Usseinov,
  • Zhakyp T. Karipbayev,
  • Juris Purans,
  • Askhat B. Kakimov,
  • Aizat Bakytkyzy,
  • Amangeldy M. Zhunusbekov,
  • Temirgali A. Koketai,
  • Artem L. Kozlovskyi,
  • Yana Suchikova,
  • Anatoli I. Popov

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16216997
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 21
p. 6997

Abstract

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The synthesis of β-Ga2O3 ceramic was achieved using high-energy electron beams for the first time. The irradiation of gallium oxide powder in a copper crucible using a 1.4 MeV electron beam resulted in a monolithic ceramic structure, eliminating powder particles and imperfections. The synthesized β-Ga2O3 ceramic exhibited a close-to-ideal composition of O/Ga in a 3:2 ratio. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed a monoclinic structure (space group C2/m) that matched the reference diagram before and after annealing. Photoluminescence spectra revealed multiple luminescence peaks at blue (~2.7 eV) and UV (3.3, 3.4, 3.8 eV) wavelengths for the synthesized ceramic and commercial crystals. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the bonding modes in the synthesized ceramic. The electron beam-assisted method offers a rapid and cost-effective approach for β-Ga2O3 ceramic production without requiring additional equipment or complex manipulations. This method holds promise for fabricating refractory ceramics with high melting points, both doped and undoped.

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