Abstract. We prepare the gallium oxide (β-Ga₂O₃) nanomaterials from gallium and oxygen by thermal evaporation in the argon atmosphere and research their oxygen sensing under UV illumination with different oxygen pressures. X-ray diffraction reveals that the synthesized product is monoclinic gallium oxide, it is further confirmed by electron diffraction of transmission electron microscope, and its morphology through the observation using scanning electron microscope reveals that β-Ga₂O₃ nanobelts with a breadth less than 100 nm and length of several micrometers are synthesized under low oxygen pressure, while the nano/microbelts are synthesized under high oxygen pressure. Room-temperature oxygen sensing is tested under at 254 nm illumination and it is found that the current decreases quickly first and then slowly with oxygen pressure from low to high.

PACS numbers: 73.20.At, 73.25.+i, 73.50.Gr

Print publication: Issue 11 (November 2009)
Received 30 July 2009