Oxide Heterogrowth on Ion-exfoliated Thin-film Complex Oxide Substrates

Fabrication of a bilayer HfO{sub 2}/single-crystal LiNbO{sub 3} film is demonstrated using deep high-energy He{sup +} implantation in a LiNbO{sub 3} wafer, followed by HfO{sub 2} atomic layer deposition, and, then, selective etching exfoliation from the bulk LiNbO{sub 3} crystal. The properties and morphology of these exfoliated bilayer films are characterized using a set of thin-film probes. Pre-exfoliation film patterning and one model application, in surface-refractive-index tuning of guided waves in a free-standing LiNbO{sub 3} film, are also demonstrated.