Abstract

Lithium niobate is an important material in the integrated optics area. However, the etch rate is slow with conventional etching techniques. We describe a method using laser ablation to perform deep etches of the order of hundreds of microns. The profiles can be accurately predicted using a super-position model. Electrostatic modeling is done to determine the effect of surface roughness on the electric fields in the substrate.

© 1994 Optical Society of America