We demonstrate the conversion to quasi two-dimensional (2D)β-Ga2O3by thermally oxidizing layered GaSe of different thicknesses (from bilayer to 100 nm). GaSe flakes were prepared by mechanical exfoliation onto Si with a 300 nm SiO2layer, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, and mica substrates. The flakes were then annealed in ambient atmosphere at different temperatures ranging from 600 °C to 1000 °C for 30 min. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation ofβ-Ga2O3in the annealed samples by comparison with the Raman spectrum of aβ-Ga2O3reference crystal. Atomic force microscopy was employed to study the morphology and the thickness of theβ-Ga2O3flakes. In addition, we used energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy together with scanning electron microscopy to investigate the evolution of the composition, especially Se residuals, and the sample topography with annealing temperature.β-Ga2O3appears at temperatures above 600 °C and Se is completely evaporated at temperatures higher than 700 °C. The thicknesses of the resultingβ-Ga2O3flakes are half of that of the initial GaSe flake. Here we therefore present a straightforward way to prepare 2Dβ-Ga2O3by annealing 2D GaSe.
Keywords: 2D materials; 2D oxide; GaSe; Raman spectroscopy; metal monochalcogenide; thermal oxidation; β-Ga2O3.
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