LiNbO3
LiNbO3 is a ferroelectric single crystal with strong electro-optic, piezoelectric and nonlinear-optical response, grown as congruent optical grade (CLN-OPT), 5 mol% MgO-doped (MgO-5), near-stoichiometric (SLN), Fe-doped (Fe-LN), black SAW grade (BLN-SAW) and periodically poled (PPLN) material.
Reference datasheet — LiNbO3 is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the CLN-OPT condition
LiNbO3 tempers and conditions
LiNbO3 is supplied in 5 conditions, soft to hard. CLN-OPT is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 5 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
iron-doped LiNbO3 (0.01–0.1 wt% Fe2O3) | Deliberately photorefractive grade for holographic data storage, phase conjugation and slow-light/adaptive interferometry; visibly yellow-brown with extra absorption. | 95 | 0 | 600 HV | 5 W/m·K | |
Black LN / acoustic (SAW) grade | Reduced (oxygen-deficient) opaque wafer whose lowered resistivity bleeds off pyroelectric charge — standard for 128°Y-X and 64°Y-X SAW filter/resonator production and for handling-safe wafer processing. | 95 | 0 | 600 HV | 5 W/m·K | |
CLN-OPTDefault CLN optical grade | Default workhorse: cheapest large-boule grade for electro-optic modulators, Q-switches, waveguides and general optics below ~10 MW/cm² at 1064 nm. | 100 | 0 | 600 HV | 5 W/m·K | |
MgO:LN | Pick when green/visible power or photorefractive (optical) damage is the limit — MgO above the ~4.6 mol% threshold raises the damage threshold by 1–2 orders and lowers the coercive field for PPLN poling. | 100 | 0 | 620 HV | 5 W/m·K | |
Near-stoichiometric LiNbO3 | Choose for very low coercive field (~4 kV/mm vs ~21 kV/mm), thick-aperture periodic poling and reduced photorefractive/UV absorption; costlier and available in smaller sizes. | 100 | 0 | 580 HV | 5 W/m·K |
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways LiNbO3 is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
PPLN | Periodically poled LiNbO3 | Surface finish |
What is LiNbO3?
LiNbO3 is a ferroelectric single crystal with strong electro-optic, piezoelectric and nonlinear-optical response, grown as congruent optical grade (CLN-OPT), 5 mol% MgO-doped (MgO-5), near-stoichiometric (SLN), Fe-doped (Fe-LN), black SAW grade (BLN-SAW) and periodically poled (PPLN) material. Engineers use it for modulators, SAW devices and frequency conversion, supplied as polished wafers, blanks and poled chips. Service is limited to about 500 °C to avoid depoling, and the crystal cleaves and chips easily (machinability 12) and cracks under thermal shock above 10 °C/min. LiTaO3 is the nearest alternative for SAW work. LiNbO3 has a density of 4.65 g/cm³ (0.168 lb/in³), heavier than 83% of glass grades. It melts at 1,257°C (2,295 °F). LiNbO3 has a tensile strength of 100 MPa (14.5 ksi), stronger than 80% of glass grades. Elongation at break is 0% and the elastic modulus is 175 GPa (25.4 Msi).
What is LiNbO3 used for?
- electro-optic modulators
- SAW devices
- frequency doubling (SHG)
- waveguide substrates
Advantages
- Stiff — 175 GPa (25.4 Msi), better than 92% of glass grades
- Tough — resists crack growth — 1.1 MPa·√m (1 ksi·√in), better than 90% of glass grades
Limitations
- High embodied carbon — 60 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 87% of glass grades
- Heavy — 4.65 g/cm³ (0.168 lb/in³), worse than 83% of glass grades
LiNbO3 properties
Typical room-temperature values for LiNbO3-CLN-OPT; bars are the position among glass grades.
Physical5
LiNbO3 has a density of 4.65 g/cm³ (0.168 lb/in³), heavier than 83% of glass grades. It melts at 1,257°C (2,295 °F).
Mechanical12
LiNbO3 has a tensile strength of 100 MPa (14.5 ksi), stronger than 80% of glass grades. Elongation at break is 0% and the elastic modulus is 175 GPa (25.4 Msi).
Thermal5
LiNbO3 is rated for continuous service to 500°C (932 °F). It conducts heat at 4.6 W/m·K (2.66 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 68% of glass grades. Thermal expansion is 15.4 µm/m·K (8.56 µin/in·°F).
Electrical4
LiNbO3 has an electrical resistivity of 1×10¹³ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental2
Corrosion resistance is very good (80/100), better than 58% of glass grades.
Sustainability3
Producing a kilogram of LiNbO3 takes about 900 MJ of energy and emits 60 kg of CO₂ — more than 89% of glass grades. Typical recycled content is 0%.
Manufacturability2
LiNbO3's machinability is not recommended (12/100, worse than 68% of glass grades).
Common Calculations4
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the glass family
Yield strength against density for every glass grade FabDigit runs. LiNbO3 is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with LiNbO3
Is LiNbO3 easy to machine?
Diamond-only: ID/wire sawing, lapping and CMP; the crystal cleaves and chips easily and is strongly anisotropic — no conventional cutting, and avoid thermal shock (>10 °C/min) which cracks large blanks.
Can LiNbO3 be welded?
Not weldable; join by optical contacting, adhesive/epoxy bonding, direct (fusion) wafer bonding to SiO2/Si for LNOI, or metallized solder attach.
Can LiNbO3 be formed, bent or molded?
Grown as boules by Czochralski from a congruent melt, then single-domain poled just below Tc; device gratings are made by room-temperature electric-field poling (~21 kV/mm CLN, ~5 kV/mm MgO/SLN).
LiNbO3 chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Nbcongruent melt Li/Nb ≈ 0.946 (48.45 mol% Li2O – 51.55 mol% Nb2O5) | 62.5 – 63.4 | 62.9 |
| Linear-stoichiometric SLN grade runs Li/Nb 0.99–1.00 | 4.45 – 4.75 | 4.6 |
| MgOmol% dopant in MgO:LN damage-resistant grade (typ. 5 mol%) | 0 – 5 | 0 |
| Fe2O3wt% dopant in photorefractive Fe:LN grade | 0 – 0.1 | 0 |
| Onominal 32.5 wt%; reduced 'black' wafers are slightly oxygen-deficient | balance |
What surface finishes work on LiNbO3?
CMP to sub-nm roughness, then AR/dielectric coatings; Ti in-diffusion or proton exchange forms waveguides; Cr/Au or Al metallization for electrodes and SAW IDTs.
How much does LiNbO3 cost?
LiNbO3 is a high-cost glass ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
LiNbO3 — frequently asked
What is LiNbO3 used for?
LiNbO3 is typically used for electro-optic modulators, SAW devices, frequency doubling (SHG) and waveguide substrates. In short: standard electro-optic crystal; anisotropic, chips easily; 500 °C service ceiling.
What is the tensile strength of LiNbO3?
LiNbO3 has a typical tensile strength of 100 MPa (14.5 ksi) — stronger than 80% of glass grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 5 listed tempers.
Is LiNbO3 easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated not recommended (12/100, worse than 68% of glass grades). Diamond-only: ID/wire sawing, lapping and CMP; the crystal cleaves and chips easily and is strongly anisotropic — no conventional cutting, and avoid thermal shock (>10 °C/min) which cracks large blanks.
Can LiNbO3 be welded?
Not weldable; join by optical contacting, adhesive/epoxy bonding, direct (fusion) wafer bonding to SiO2/Si for LNOI, or metallized solder attach.
What surface finishes work on LiNbO3?
CMP to sub-nm roughness, then AR/dielectric coatings; Ti in-diffusion or proton exchange forms waveguides; Cr/Au or Al metallization for electrodes and SAW IDTs.
Can LiNbO3 be formed, bent or molded?
Grown as boules by Czochralski from a congruent melt, then single-domain poled just below Tc; device gratings are made by room-temperature electric-field poling (~21 kV/mm CLN, ~5 kV/mm MgO/SLN).
What is the maximum service temperature of LiNbO3?
LiNbO3 is rated for continuous use to about 500°C (932 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does LiNbO3 cost?
LiNbO3 is a high-cost glass ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- Lithium niobate: summary of physical properties and crystal structure (Weis & Gaylord), Applied Physics A 37 — Springer (1985)
- Properties of Lithium Niobate, EMIS Datareviews Series No. 28 — INSPEC/IEE (2002)
- Landolt-Börnstein III/29: Elastic, piezoelectric and dielectric constants of crystals — Springer (1993)
- LiNbO3 crystal and wafer specifications (optical, MgO-doped, black SAW grades) — CASTECH / Yamaju Ceramics / Gooch & Housego (2023)
- GB/T (LiNbO3 single crystal and wafer specification) — SAC/GB (2018)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.