Exploration of -(Al_xGa_1-x)₂O₃ thin films at different deposition thicknesses by magnetron sputtering

& beta;(AlxGa1-x)(2)O-3 inherits the excellent structural and chemical stability of & beta;-Ga2O3 with band gap tunability; in this paper, & beta;-(AlxGa1-x)(2)O-3 films were prepared by magnetron sputtering on & alpha;-Al2O3 (0001) (C-surface sapphire) substrates for this property. & beta;-Ga2O3 thin films with different thicknesses were grown by changing the deposition time; the grown & beta;-Ga2O3 thin films were subjected to high-temperature diffusion, and & beta;-(AlxGa1-x)(2)O-3 thin films with adjustable band gap were prepared. The characterization reveals changes in the film morphology and the distribution of Al. The average Al content value of the films decreased with increasing thickness during the deposition times of 30, 60, 90, and 120 min; the band gap of the films increased after diffusion at 1000 & DEG;C. The higher the Al content, the larger the band gap value. Therefore, the band gap of & beta;-(AlxGa1-x)(2)O-3 films prepared based on the high-temperature diffusion method is tunable. The technique is expected to provide candidate materials for preparing & beta;-(AlxGa1-x)(2)O-3-based electronic devices without the direct growth method to prepare & beta;-(AlxGa1-x)(2)O-3.