Physical Characterization of Thin Films of Lithium Niobate Deposited on Silicon Substrates

Abstract

ABSTRACTThin films (.1-.6 μm) of LiNbO3 have been deposited on silicon substrates by reactive rf sputtering. Under optimized deposition conditions the resulting thin films of LiNbO3 were optically transparent, adhered well to the silicon substrates, and were found to be polycrystalline and uniaxial with the c axis oriented normal to the silicon surface. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to examine film morphology. Both methods indicated that the films were smooth and contained no gross irregularities. The ratio of oxygen to niobium in these films was measured by Rutherford backscattering to be approximately 3 to 1. Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiling revealed that the films had the expected ratio of Li, Nb, and O. This information, together with Bragg x-ray diffraction data, indicates that the thin films deposited on silicon were stoichiometric, crystalline LiNbO3.