Preparation of lithium niobate optical thin film and patterned microstructure via chemical modification

In this paper, a stable lithium niobate (LN) sol was prepared using niobium pentachloride, niobium ethoxide, lithium acetate, anhydrous ethanol, and benzoylacetone (BzAcH) as a chemical modifier. The effects of different starting materials and organic solvents on the obtained gel film quality of the sols were studied and the optimization mechanism of BzAcH on the film quality was analyzed in detail. The effects of heat treatment temperature on the structure and performance of the LN thin films were also studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra showed that LN was more highly crystalline in the heat treatment temperature range of 600–800 °C. The refractive index of the LN thin films first increased and then decreased with increasing heat treatment temperature, and the LN thin film prepared at 700 °C had the largest refractive index. Light transmittance tests showed that as the heat treatment temperature increased, light transmittance decreased. Finally, it was determined that LN gel films modified with BzAcH were more highly sensitive to UV light and that after UV irradiation, it was difficult to dissolve LN gel films in organic solvent. The UV-sensitive property was utilized to realize microstructure processing of the LN thin films. The results indicated that a high-quality, non-destructive, and photoresist-free micro-fabrication method was realized. This method was used to fabricate microscale LN fine patterns with smooth sidewalls while avoiding lateral corrosion. These results are of great significance for LN thin film applications and the development of LN-based optoelectronic devices prepared by chemical methods.