LiNbO3 SLN (Near-stoichiometric LiNbO3)
Grade
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.
Values for the SLN condition
Other LiNbO3 tempers and conditions
LiNbO3 is listed in 5 conditions; see the grade overview at LiNbO3.
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 |
SLNThis page 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 |
What is LiNbO3 SLN?
LiNbO3 SLN is LiNbO3 in the SLN grade — 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. LiNbO3 SLN 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). LiNbO3 SLN 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). CLN-OPT is the default condition FabDigit quotes; SLN is available on request or by drawing note.
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 SLN properties
Typical room-temperature values for LiNbO3 SLN; 16 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are LiNbO3 reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among glass grades.
Physical5
LiNbO3 SLN 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 SLN 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 SLN is rated for continuous service to 550°C (1,022 °F). It conducts heat at 5.2 W/m·K (3 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 71% of glass grades. Thermal expansion is 15.4 µm/m·K (8.56 µin/in·°F).
Electrical4
LiNbO3 SLN 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 SLN 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 SLN's machinability is not recommended (11/100, worse than 76% of glass grades).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with LiNbO3 SLN
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).
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.
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 | — |
LiNbO3 SLN — frequently asked
What is LiNbO3 SLN used for?
LiNbO3 SLN 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 SLN?
LiNbO3 SLN 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 SLN easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated not recommended (11/100, worse than 76% 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 SLN 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 SLN?
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 SLN 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 SLN?
LiNbO3 SLN is rated for continuous use to about 550°C (1,022 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
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. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.