ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE CONTROLLING PROCESS FOR PIEZOELECTRIC OXIDE SINGLE CRYSTAL

摘要

To provide a processing method which can restrain the charging of lithium tantalate single crystal or lithium niobate single crystal without impairing the piezoelectricity. Moreover, to provide a processing apparatus which can carry out the processing method simply and easily. It is characterized in that a wafer 50, made from a lithium tantalate single crystal or a lithium niobate single crystal, and a reducing agent 60, including an alkali metal compound, are accommodated in a processing tank 2, and the inside of the processing tank 2 is held at a temperature of from 200 °C to 1000 °C under decompression, thereby reducing the wafer 50.