Characterization of selective etching and patterning by sequential light- and heavy-ion irradiation of LiNbO3

Abstract The induced selective etching properties of LiNbO 3 in a sample subjected to ion processing using sequential light- and heavy-ion irradiation are investigated and discussed. Through the use of TEM and SEM, the lattice structure at the amorphous–crystalline interface is examined after heavy ion exposure and it is found that single-energy amorphizing irradiation results in undercut etching at the interface, while multiple-energy irradiation yields sharper features. Such sequential-irradiation process based on both light- and heavy-ion irradiation enables ready fabrication of concomitant high-resolution patterning and exfoliation of structured freestanding thin films.