Defining the relative proton irradiation hardness of β-Ga2O3

The correlation between the carrier removal rate (CRR) in n-type Ga2O3 and the nonionizing energy loss (NIEL) by MeV protons during irradiation of rectifier structures is reported. A dependence of CRR = 7 × 10−14 (n0 × NIEL) + 18.7 is found, where n0 is the drift layer doping. The critical proton fluence at which the drift layer doping would be fully compensated by acceptor traps created by the NIEL in Ga2O3 is ΦCR (Ga2O3) = 6 × 10−4 (n0/NIEL) + 5 × 1013 cm−2. A comparison with SiC irradiated under similar conditions shows the Ga2O3 to have a higher critical fluence.