Pulsed laser deposition of lithium niobate: a parametric study

We report the deposition of high optical quality LiNbO3 thin films on Si 111.substrates by pulsed laser ablation using a KrF) excimer laser ls248 nm, ts20 ns.source. Experiments have been conducted in oxygen at 5–20 Pa. Si 111. collectors were uniformly heated at 500–7008C. Some of the as-deposited collectors were submitted to an in-situ thermal treatment in oxygen 103–104Pa. at the same temperature. The deposited thin films were characterised by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction GIXRD., transmission electron microscopy TEM.and spectroscopic ellipsometry SE.. Our LiNbO3 thin films, achieved at relatively low temperature 5508C., are the first textured and high optical quality pulsed laser deposited films on Si. q1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.