KrF Excimer Laser Direct Writing of Titanium Lines: Modeling and Application to the Fabrication of Ti:Linbo3 Waveguides

The deposition of titanium lines by KrF excimer laser direct writing on lithium niobate (LiNbO3) has been investigated. A detailled study of the line profile has been performed since this is critical in the fabrication of Ti:LiNbO3 optical waveguides. We show that at a low power density E, the maximum thickness t is proportional to E, while increasing E leads to the diffusion of Ti into LiNbO3 resulting in a saturation and even a decrease in thickness. Preliminary results on Ti:LiNbO3 optical waveguides show that their characteristics are similar to those made by conventional methods.