Multi-mode Ti:LiNbO3 planar waveguide was fabricated by in-diffusion of 100-nm-thick Ti-metal film coated onto a near-stoichiometric LiNbO3 substrate prepared by vapor transport equilibration. The crystalline phase and composition in the waveguide were characterized. The guided modes in the planar waveguide were characterized by prism coupling technique. The refractive index profile is constructed from the measured mode indices using the inverse Wentzel-Krames-Brillouin method, and correlated with the Ti4+- concentration profile, which was obtained from secondary-ion-mass-spectroscopy analysis. The results show that the waveguide still retains the LiNbO3 phase, its composition is near-stoichiometric. The index change and Ti4+-concentration follow an exponential relationship with a power index 0.4 for an ordinary ray and 1.07 for an extraordinary ray. A comparison of various congruent and near-stoichiometric bulk materials or waveguides allows to conclude that the relationship is different from congruent to near-stoichiometric composition, from one fabrication method to another, and from bulk material to waveguide configuration. The difference is explained qualitatively. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.