Moore and More ›› 2025, Vol. 1 ›› Issue (1): 62-78.DOI: 10.1007/s44275-024-00005-0

• REVIEWS • Previous Articles    

Lithium niobate/lithium tantalate single-crystal thin films for post-moore era chip applications

Yixin Zhu1,2, Qing Wan1,3   

  1. 1. Yongjiang Laboratory, Ningbo, 315201, China;
    2. School of Electronic Science and Engineering, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China;
    3. School of Micro-Nano Electronics, Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Centre, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
  • Received:2023-11-02 Revised:2024-01-22 Accepted:2024-01-31 Online:2024-08-01 Published:2024-08-01
  • Contact: Qing Wan,E-mail:qing-wan@ylab.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by Key R&D Program of Zhejiang (Grant Nos. 2024SSYS0043, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61921005, 62074075) and Zhejiang Province introduces and cultivates leading innovation and entrepreneurship teams (Grant Nos. 2023TD1035).

Lithium niobate/lithium tantalate single-crystal thin films for post-moore era chip applications

Yixin Zhu1,2, Qing Wan1,3   

  1. 1. Yongjiang Laboratory, Ningbo, 315201, China;
    2. School of Electronic Science and Engineering, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China;
    3. School of Micro-Nano Electronics, Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Centre, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
  • 通讯作者: Qing Wan,E-mail:qing-wan@ylab.ac.cn
  • 作者简介:Yixin Zhu received his master’s degree in physics from Qingdao University in 2017. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. His research interests include neuromorphic devices and applications.
    Qing Wan Director of the Yongjiang Laboratory Heterogeneous Integration Research Center. He obtained his undergraduate degree in the Department of Materials at Zhejiang University and earned a Ph.D. in microelectronics from the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2004. After completing his Ph.D., he conducted postdoctoral and visiting professor research at the University of Cambridge, the University of Michigan, and Stanford University. Upon returning to China, he held positions at Hunan University, the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Nanjing University. In 2014, he was supported by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. Currently, his primary research activities are carried out at the Yongjiang Laboratory.
  • 基金资助:
    This study was supported by Key R&D Program of Zhejiang (Grant Nos. 2024SSYS0043, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61921005, 62074075) and Zhejiang Province introduces and cultivates leading innovation and entrepreneurship teams (Grant Nos. 2023TD1035).

Abstract: Lithium niobate (LiNbO3) and lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) are a class of multifunctional materials with excellent piezoelectric/ferroelectric, electro-optic, and nonlinear optical properties, which have wide applications in high-performance radio frequency filters, optical communications, integrated photonics, quantum information, and other fields. With the advent of the post-Moore era of integrated circuit technology, LiNbO3/LiTaO3 thin-film also shows great potential and advantages in new concept chip applications. High-quality single-crystal thin films lay the foundation for high-performance radio frequency, optoelectronic, and quantum devices and their integration. This review first introduces the main characteristics of LiNbO3/LiTaO3 single-crystal thin films, such as ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, electro-optic effect and nonlinear optical effect, then introduces the preparation methods of LiNbO3/LiTaO3 single-crystal thin films represented by smart-cut and their application progress in different fields such as waveguides, modulators, laterally excited bulk acoustic wave resonators, and quantum devices. The application prospects and challenges of LiNbO3/LiTaO3 single-crystal thin films in post-Moore era chips are also discussed in this article, aiming to provide valuable references for their development and application.

Key words: LiNbO3/LiTaO3, Thin films, Smart-cut, Radio frequency filters, Integrated photonics, Post-Moore era

摘要: Lithium niobate (LiNbO3) and lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) are a class of multifunctional materials with excellent piezoelectric/ferroelectric, electro-optic, and nonlinear optical properties, which have wide applications in high-performance radio frequency filters, optical communications, integrated photonics, quantum information, and other fields. With the advent of the post-Moore era of integrated circuit technology, LiNbO3/LiTaO3 thin-film also shows great potential and advantages in new concept chip applications. High-quality single-crystal thin films lay the foundation for high-performance radio frequency, optoelectronic, and quantum devices and their integration. This review first introduces the main characteristics of LiNbO3/LiTaO3 single-crystal thin films, such as ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, electro-optic effect and nonlinear optical effect, then introduces the preparation methods of LiNbO3/LiTaO3 single-crystal thin films represented by smart-cut and their application progress in different fields such as waveguides, modulators, laterally excited bulk acoustic wave resonators, and quantum devices. The application prospects and challenges of LiNbO3/LiTaO3 single-crystal thin films in post-Moore era chips are also discussed in this article, aiming to provide valuable references for their development and application.

关键词: LiNbO3/LiTaO3, Thin films, Smart-cut, Radio frequency filters, Integrated photonics, Post-Moore era