Scanning Electron Microscopy Investigation of Surface Acoustic Wave Propagation in a 41° YX-Cut of a LiNbO₃ Crystal/Si Layered Structure

• Published in: Crystals
• Main Authors: Dmitry Roshchupkin, Evgenii Emelin, Olga Plotitcina, Anatoly Mololkin, Oleg Telminov
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
• Subjects: LiNbO₃ crystal; Si crystal; surface acoustic wave; X-ray diffraction; scanning electron microscopy; LiNbO₃/Si layered structure
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/11/9/1082
• ISSN: 2073-4352

The propagation process of the surface acoustic waves (SAW) and the pseudo-surface acoustic waves (PSAW) in a bonded layered structure of a 41° YX-cut of a LiNbO₃ crystal/Si(100) crystal was investigated. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) method,in the low-energy secondary electrons registration mode, made it possible to visualize the SAW and PSAW in the LiNbO₃/Si layered structure. The process of the SAW and PSAW propagation in a LiNbO₃/Si layered structure and in a bulk 41° YX-cut of a LiNbO₃ crystal were compared. It was demonstrated that the SAW velocities in the layered LiNbO₃/Si structure exceed the typical SAW velocities for LiNbO₃ and Si single crystals. In the layered structure, the SAW and PSAW velocities were 4062 m/s, 4731 m/s, and 5871 m/s. It was also demonstrated that the PSAW velocities are the same in the LiNbO₃/Si layered structure and in the bulk 41° YX-cut of a LiNbO₃ crystal.