Effects of sol-gel processing variables on the texture growth of LiNbO3 thin film

Abstract

Highly oriented lithium niobate (LiNbO3) thin films were fabricated usiIlg the sol-gel spill coating method. The effects of the sol-gel processing variables, such as reflux time, crystallization temperature and substrate, on tile development of texture on the thin film were investigated. The film made from tile solution refluxed. for 5 h and deposited on a sapphire (012) substrate should highly oriented growth at the crystallization temperature of 500 degrees C. The film had homogeneous and pore-free microstructure. The film made from the solution refluxed for 1 h showed only preferred orientation and porous microstructure under the same processing conditions. The thin films deposited on MgO(100) substrates were polycrystalline. The crystallization temperature and the film thickness significantly affected the crystallinity and the orientation of the films.