EPITAXIAL LINBO3 THIN-FILMS PREPARED BY A SOL-GEL PROCESS

LiNbO3 thin films were prepared on sapphire substrates by a sol-gel process using lithium ethoxide and niobium pentaethoxide. Decreasing the amount of water added for hydrolysis of the alkoxides caused the films to show a higher preferred orientation in the same crystal plane as the orientation of the substrate. Without the addition of water to the alkoxides, a heteroepitaxial film with single-crystal nature was obtained. Films of this quality have not been reported previously.