Ultrathin membranes in x-cut lithium niobate.

Ion-beam enhanced etching is used to pattern a bulk lithium niobate crystal with ultrathin membranes. By the implementation of an air gap beneath the membrane, high index contrast is achieved. A buried amorphous layer, created by irradiation with He ions, is removed by means of wet chemical etching in hydro-fluoric acid. Membranes having thicknesses down to 200 nm are fabricated. The etched air gaps and the membranes exhibit a uniform thickness over the entire etched area, and their widths can be purposefully adjusted over a wide range by choosing appropriate ion energies and fluences as well as annealing conditions.

[1]  K. Gärtner Modified master equation approach of axial dechanneling in perfect compound crystals , 2005 .

[2]  F. Schrempel,et al.  Annealing behavior of lithium niobate irradiated with He-ions at 100 K , 2009 .

[3]  Daniele Rezzonico,et al.  Electro–optically tunable microring resonators in lithium niobate , 2007, 0705.2392.

[4]  Ryan Roth,et al.  Low-voltage planar-waveguide electrooptic prism scanner in Crystal-Ion-Sliced thin-film LiNbO3. , 2004, Optics express.

[5]  E. Kley,et al.  Ion beam enhanced etching of LiNbO3 , 2006 .

[6]  Richard M. Osgood,et al.  Fabrication of single-crystal lithium niobate films by crystal ion slicing , 1998 .

[7]  W. J. Weber,et al.  Amorphization and recrystallization of the ABO3 oxides , 2002 .

[8]  Richard M. Osgood,et al.  Strong nonlinear optical response in epitaxial liftoff single-crystal LiNbO3 films , 1999 .

[9]  D. Djukic,et al.  Compositional and structural changes in LiNbO3 following deep He+ ion implantation for film exfoliation , 2006 .

[10]  William H. Steier,et al.  Lithium niobate ridge waveguides and modulators fabricated using smart guide , 2005 .

[11]  F. Schrempel,et al.  Etching of Ion Irradiated LiNbO3 in Aqueous Hydrofluoric Solutions , 2008 .

[12]  Richard M. Osgood,et al.  Large etch-selectivity enhancement in the epitaxial liftoff of single-crystal LiNbO3 films , 1999 .

[13]  I. Radu,et al.  Single-Crystalline Ferroelectric Thin Films by Ion Implantation and Direct Wafer Bonding , 2003 .

[14]  P. Günter,et al.  Optical and electro-optical properties of submicrometer lithium niobate slab waveguides prepared by crystal ion slicing and wafer bonding , 2004 .

[15]  Richard M. Osgood,et al.  Electro-optic modulation in crystal-ion-sliced z-cut LiNbO3 thin films , 2000 .

[16]  Richard M. Osgood,et al.  Low-voltage tunable TE/TM converter on ion-sliced lithium niobate thin film , 2003 .

[17]  K. Vahala,et al.  Integration of Single‐Crystal LiNbO3 Thin Film on Silicon by Laser Irradiation and Ion Implantation– Induced Layer Transfer , 2006 .