Abstract
The Ga 2 O 3 (Gd 2 O 3 ) dielectric film was previously discovered to passivate the GaAs surface effectively. We have investigated the systematic dependence of the dielectric properties of (Ga 2 O 3 ) 1 - x (Gd 2 O 3 ) x on the Gd (x) content. Our results show that pure Ga 2 O 3 does not passivate GaAs. Films with x≥ 14% are electrically insulating with low leakage current and high electrical breakdown strength. Furthermore, a low interfacial density of states was attained in films with x ≥ 14%. The results show the important role of Gd 2 O 3 in the (Ga 2 O 3 ) 1 - x (Gd 2 O 3 ) x dielectric films for effective passivation of GaAs. © 1999 American Institute of Physics.