Room-Temperature Preparation of Large-Area Transparent Two-Dimensional ZnO-Doped Ga2O3 Nanostructure-Based Layers: Implications for Optoelectronic Nanodevices

Abstract

Herein, we demonstrated the controllable synthesis of a centimeter-scale two-dimensional (2D) ZnO-doped Ga2O3 nanostructure layer by a liquid Ga–Zn alloy printing strategy at near room temperature. Different from the liquid Ga–In and Ga–In–Sn alloys, the surface oxidation behavior of a liquid Ga–Zn alloy follows an obvious competition and cooxidation characteristics instead of the dominant oxidation characteristic of Ga, which could be effectively used to precisely tailor the Zn content of 2D Ga2O3 films. With an increase of the nominal Zn content in the Ga–Zn alloy from 0 to 8 atom %, the real Zn content of 2D ZnO-doped Ga2O3 films gradually increases and finally reaches a maximum saturated value of 16–18 atom % at the eutectic component of 3.87 atom %. Correspondingly, the transmittance and band gap of 2D ZnO-doped Ga2O3 films could also be tuned by changes of the Zn content and crystallinity. The method proposed in this work provides a general route toward the doping synthesis of a diverse nonlayered 2D structure, which will shed light on the applications of various displays and deep-ultraviolet optoelectronic devices.