Residual stresses and clamped thermal expansion in LiNbO3 and LiTaO3 thin films

Abstract

Residual stresses in LiNbO3 and LiTaO3 epitaxial thin films were evaluated taking into account Li nonstoichiometry by means of Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. The epitaxial films were grown on C-cut sapphire substrates by pulsed injection metal organic chemical vapour deposition. Clamping of the epitaxial films by the substrate induced a transfer from the in plane thermal expansion to the out of plane component. The temperature of the phase transition of clamped LiTaO3 films was close to that expected for a bulk sample.