https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202226603006
Planarization of Lithium Niobate Surface Using a Thin Film Catalyst in Pure Water
1 JTEC Corporation, Saito-Yamabuki 2-5-38, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
2 Osaka University, Yamada-oka 2-1, Suita, Osaka, Japan
3 Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
* Corresponding author: buivanpho@j-tec.co.jp, buivanpho@up.prec.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp
Published online: 13 October 2022
A catalytically assisted etching method, named Catalyst-Referred Etching (CARE) was applied to the planarization of Lithium Niobate (LN) surface, which is widely used for optical waveguides, optical modulators, piezoelectric applications. The study demonstrates that an atomically smooth surface with less than 0.1 nm root-mean-square roughness could be achieved on a LN substrate using a thin metal film and pure water as the catalyst and etching solution, respectively. All residual stress and surface damage could be removed completely thanks to the removal mechanism of CARE.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
