Abstract
We present an analysis of the phase stabilization of β-Ga(2)O(3) and κ-Ga(2)O(3) grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy with varying supersaturation of the gas-phase precursors on c-sapphire and GaN substrates. We compare in-depth structural analyses of the bulk and interface layers, also through the measurement of strain relaxation across the structure, with a comprehensive nucleation model, based on multiscale simulations. A coherent and quantitative interpretation of different stages of the nucleation of Ga(2)O(3) phases on sapphire is elaborated on, highlighting the crucial role of the supersaturation of gas precursors and of the residual misfit strain within the initial layers in the stabilization of competing Ga(2)O(3) polymorphs.