Effect of substrate preparation on the growth of lead-free piezoelectric (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3on Pt(111)

Lead-free piezoceramics aiming at replacing the market-dominant Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3 have been extensively researched for more than a decade worldwide due to the toxicity of lead. In this context, (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 (KNN) triggered the attention of the scientific community thanks to its bulk record piezoelectric coefficient combined with high critical temperature, which make it a good candidate for applications. In this paper, (001)-oriented KNN thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition on Pt(111)/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates are investigated. We highlight the relevance of the template substrate in determining the structure of the film. Developing a suitable treatment for the Pt substrate is of great importance to film morphologic and topographic quality and to electric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties. From local characterization of piezoelectric properties, we find a piezoelectric coefficient d33 of about 80 pm/V, comparable to the highest values reported for state-of-the-art undoped KNN thin films. Finally, electrical characterization of fabricated micro-capacitors allows the investigation of dielectric performance and shows remanent ferroelectric polarization over microscopic areas, thus paving the way to the integration of these KNN films in microfabricated actuator devices.