Thermoluminescence of Dense β-Ga2O3 Ceramics Synthesized by Plasma Gas-Thermal Spraying

The results of studying the structural and phase composition and the optical and thermoluminescent properties of β-Ga2O3 ceramic samples, obtained by plasma gas-thermal spraying, from the perspective of the application of this ceramics as a luminescent material, are reported. Both the synthesized samples and the samples subjected to post-growth high-temperature and plasma treatment were studied. It is shown that the synthesized ceramic samples without additional processing do not provide the necessary sensitivity to radiation because of the high concentration of their own F-type defects, and the thermoluminescence peak is located at a temperature of 350°C, which is inconvenient for registration. Samples of β-Ga2O3 ceramics subjected to post-growth high-temperature and plasma treatment, having a high thermoluminescence yield and thermoluminescence peak located at 120°C, are competitive with commercial thermoluminescent detectors when irradiated to doses in the range of 0.2–2.5 Gy.