Ga₂O₃ nanowires preparation at atmospheric pressure

An attempt has been undertaken to produce gallium oxide nanowires by thermal synthesis from metallic gallium source at atmospheric pressure. Silicon substrates of (1 0 0) and (1 1 1) orientation with and without silicon oxide layers (0.5 μm) were used as support. Evaporated thin gold films were deposited on the top of those silicon carriers as a catalytic agent. After thermal treatment by Rapid Thermal Processing RTP (at various temperatures and times), which was applied to make small Au islands with the diameters of about several tens of nanometers, the substrate surfaces were observed by SEM. The Ga₂O₃ syntheses were made at various conditions: time, temperature and gas mixture were changed. As a result, monoclinic gallium oxide β-Ga₂O₃ nanostructures with dominant [1 1 1] and [0 0 2] growth directions were grown. The obtained nanostructures of several tens micrometers length were studied by SEM, PL and X-ray methods.