Inhomogeneity of composition in near-stoichiometric LiNbO3 single crystal grown from Li rich melt

Abstract

A near-stoichiometric LiNbO3 single crystal has been grown by the Czochralski technique from a melt of 58.5 mol% Li2O. Its composition homogeneity was assessed by measuring the UV absorption edge. It was found that the maximum composition difference is about 0.03 mol% in the radial direction and 0.05 mol% in the axial direction. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis was performed on the powder from the synthesized raw material and the frozen melt after crystal growth. The analytical results indicate that, during crystal growth, the magnitude of lithium volatilization from the melt surface is more than the degree of segregation from the crystal. The volatilized lithium diffuses into the crystal to compensate for the lithium segregation in the LiNbO3 crystal. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)