In the process of developing electro-optic devices from ferroelectric z-cut
LiNbO3 wafers, a repolarization throughout the wafer thickness occurs due
to a localization of electric charges on the wafer. The repolarization not
only generates microdomains causing light to scatter but also large defects
in the crystal that become the origin of wafer fracture. The size of such
defects is comparable to the wafer thickness (0.5 mm), and an anomaly in th
e chemical and crystalline structures can be found in them. X-ray diffracto
metry and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm that a chemical reductio
n in the defective region occurs.