Compositional and structural changes in LiNbO3 following deep He+ ion implantation for film exfoliation

Abstract

The physical mechanism of He-ion-based exfoliation in Z-cut LiNbO3 is investigated. Rutherford backscattering/channeling, nuclear-reaction analysis, and transmission electron microscopy are used to examine the compositional and structural changes caused by deep ion implantation followed by thermal annealing. Lattice disruption, He-bubble formation, and Li depletion are observed in the implantation region, as well as the onset of exfoliation. The implications of these observations for the crystal ion slicing method are discussed.