Lithium Tantalate Wafer (LT)

Lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) wafer is a type of crystalline material that is commonly used in various electronic and optical applications. It is a ferroelectric material similar to lithium niobate, with similar properties that make it useful in many devices.

LiTaO3 wafers are typically made by the Czochralski process, where a seed crystal is immersed in a melt of lithium tantalate. As the melt cools, the lithium tantalate crystallizes on the seed crystal, forming a larger single crystal. The resulting crystal is then sliced into wafers of the desired thickness and polished to a high degree of flatness and smoothness.

Lithium tantalate wafers are highly prized for their excellent optical and electrical properties, such as high refractive index, low optical loss, and high electro-optic coefficients. These properties make them useful in a wide range of applications, including optical waveguides, modulators, and acousto-optic devices.

In addition to its optical properties, lithium tantalate has excellent piezoelectric properties, making it useful in acoustic wave devices, such as filters and resonators. It is also used in surface acoustic wave devices (SAW) for telecommunications and sensing applications.