Precipitation kinetics of LiNbO3and LiNb3O8crystalline phases in thermally annealed amorphous LiNbO3thin films

✍ Scribed by Akazawa, H. ;Shimada, M.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 200 KB
• Volume: 203
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0031-8965
• DOI: 10.1002/pssa.200669502

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The pyrochlore (LiNb~3~O~8~) phase in lithium niobate crystal does not contribute to ferroelectric or electro‐optic properties. We investigated a way to suppress the precipitation of this phase that was formed by thermally annealing amorphous LiNbO~3~ films. The volume fraction of LiNb~3~O~8~ with respect to LiNbO~3~ becomes higher during longer annealing periods and at higher annealing temperatures because of the evaporation of Li~2~O units from the surface. Annealing in an O~2~ atmosphere promotes the formation of the pyrochlore phase more than in a vacuum. We propose rapid thermal annealing of oxygen‐rich LiNbO~3~ film in a vacuum to provide the best solution to obtaining transparent, single LiNbO~3~ phase film. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)