Evaluation of Fe-βGa2O3 for Photoconductive Semiconductor Switching

We present iron-doped beta gallium oxide (Fe-
$\beta $
Ga2O3) as a candidate for photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSSs) with sub-bandgap light. From a commercially available Fe-
$\beta $
Ga2O3 wafer, we first did material characterization. This included measurements of absorption coefficient and dopant composition, carrier activation energy up to 200 °C, break down field of planar electrodes (limited from material passivation), and free carrier recombination lifetime, and thermal effects up to 203 °C on photocurrent with a 447 nm light emitting diode (LED) source. We then demonstrated pulsed operation of a Fe-
$\beta $
Ga2O3 PCSS under different sub-bandgap wavelengths (355, 532, and 1064 nm) and sub-ns pulses. Fe-
$\beta $
Ga2O3 is a candidate for high temperature PCSS with 355 nm responsivity of
$7\times 10^{-{7}}$
A-cm/W-kV at room temperature and up to
$5.5\times 10^{-{4}}$
A-cm/W-kV at 200 °C. From these investigations, we discuss a simple trap model to describe the illumination process of the PCSS. Fe-
$\beta $
Ga2O3 has a high breakdown field and has moderate responsivity characteristics, but the dark current at high temperature leads to low photo-to-dark current ratio (PDCR). Regardless, we verify its potential as a PCSS material for harsh environment applications.