In the paper, the most commonly used fabrication techniques of optical waveguides in lithium niobate are reviewed. Diffusion processes such as out-diffusion of lithium oxide from the crystal surface, in-diffusion of metals, ion exchange and proton exchange, and ion implantation are analysed. The characteristics of LiNbO 3 optical waveguides prepared by the different technological procedures, are reported in relation with the fabrication conditions. High quality optical waveguides on lithium niobate can be produced by Ti in-diffusion in a dry O 2 atmosphere at temperatures above 1000°C for long diffusion times (>10h). However, despite the large amount of research done in this field, correlations between optical properties and structural characteristics have not yet been established.