Integrated Computational Materials, Process and Product Engineering – IC-MPPE 2022

The requirements on new materials used in mobile communications are driven by the demand for higher data transfer rates. Single crystalline piezoelectric materials such as LiTaO3 and LiNbO3 have thereby qualified as substrates for precise and efficient frequency filters and are consequently employed in the newest 5G mobile communication network standards. Crystal growth in specific orientations are usually pursued to ensure optimized functional properties. The question arises whether such orientations may withstand thermo-mechanical loading during qualification and/or service.
In this work, biaxial strength measurements along with in-situ SEM fracture toughness experiments were performed on miniaturized specimens to investigate the mechanical performance of LiTaO3 and LiNbO3 materials. In addition, nanoindentation experiments showed onset of plastic deformation for specific loading scenarios which may arise in future SAW designs where thin film and multilayer architectures are increasingly important. Corresponding knowledge for the micro-scale may be utilized in the fabrication of LiTaO3 and LiNbO3 materials of particular orientations with optimized structural and functional properties.