Abstract
Abstract
GaO(OH) particles were synthesised using a low-cost forced hydrolysis method, and their thermal conversion into Ga
2
O
3
was investigated as a function of annealing temperature and initial solution pH. Raman spectroscopy revealed the formation of
α
-GaO(OH) for anneals between room temperature and 300 °C, with optimal crystal quality observed at 200 °C–300 °C. Subsequently,
α
‐Ga
2
O
3
was produced between 300 °C and 600 °C, peaking in quality at 500 °C, and
β
‐Ga
2
O
3
was obtained between 600 °C and 900 °C, with the highest quality achieved at 900 °C. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence revealed phase-dependent emission and thermal quenching associated with defect-related recombination. A proof‐of‐concept ultraviolet (UV) photodetector fabricated from
β
-Ga
2
O
3
particles exhibited a responsivity of 78.7 ± 0.8
μ
A W
−1
at 250 nm, a photo‐to‐dark current ratio of 815, and a 250 nm/375 nm rejection ratio of 72. These results underscore the potential of this low‐cost synthesis route for UV detection and UV‐assisted gas sensing applications.