An Aerosol-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition Route to Tin-Doped Gallium Oxide Thin Films with Optoelectronic Properties

Gallium oxide is a wide-bandgap compound semiconductor material renowned for its diverse applications spanning gas sensors, liquid crystal displays, transparent electrodes, and ultraviolet detectors. This paper details the aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition synthesis of tin doped gallium oxide thin films using gallium acetylacetonate and monobutyltin trichloride dissolved in methanol. It was observed that Sn doping resulted in a reduction in the transmittance of Ga₂O₃ films within the visible spectrum, while preserving the wide bandgap characteristics of 4.8 eV. Furthermore, Hall effect testing revealed a substantial decrease in the resistivity of Sn-doped Ga₂O₃ films, reducing it from 4.2 × 10⁶ Ω cm to 2 × 10⁵ Ω cm for the 2.5 at. % Sn:Ga₂O₃ compared to the nominally undoped Ga₂O₃.