Epitaxial growth of LiNbO3 thin ®lms using pulsed laser deposition

An epitaxial lithium niobate (LiNbO3) thin ®lm was successfully fabricated on an a-Al2O3(0 0 0 1) substrate using a pulsed laser deposition method and the effect of laser ¯uence on ®lm quality was investigated. The Li concentration in a deposited ®lm was largely in¯uenced by oxygen radicals, which were produced not only by the interaction between the incident excimer laser and the oxygen but also by an rf-radical source. The re-evaporation of Li atoms in the ®lm was suppressed by the oxidation of Li atoms. # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.