Heteroepitaxial α‐Ga2O3 Thin Film‐Based X‐Ray Detector with Metal–Semiconductor–Metal Structure

Abstract

This study explores the potential of 700‐nm‐thick heteroepitaxial α‐Ga2O3 thin films on c‐plane sapphire substrates for X‐ray detector applications. The crystal quality and optical bandgap of the heteroepitaxial α‐Ga2O3 thin films are comparable to those of high‐quality α‐Ga2O3 thin films. The α‐Ga2O3 thin film X‐ray detector with a metal–semiconductor–metal structure exhibits a charge neutral point shift, resulting in a short‐circuit current density of 9.07 nA cm−2 and an open‐circuit voltage of –1.2 V. The detector achieves the highest signal‐to‐noise ratio of 973 at 0 V, while the maximum sensitivity (14.7 μC Gyair−1 cm−2) occurs at 10 V. The proposed X‐ray detector demonstrates a reliable transient response and long‐term robustness, suggesting the promise of heteroepitaxial α‐Ga2O3 for low‐cost, high‐quality, large‐area X‐ray detectors.