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    Defect, phase coexistence, and electromechanical properties of K0.5Na0.5NbO3 thin films with intentional and unintentional Ti doping

    Jueyu Chen1,2, Shashidhara Acharya1, Mingsheng Zhang1, Ming Lin1, Poh Chong Lim1, Jianwei Chai1, Milan Shrestha3, Edwin Hang Tong Teo2,4,*, and Kui Yao1,†

    • *Contact author: htteo@ntu.edu.sg
    • †Contact author: Yao_Kui@a-star.edu.sg

    Phys. Rev. Applied 25, 054018 – Published 7 May, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/3s5n-nkcp

    Abstract

    The Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si stack is the most widely adopted substrate for integrating piezoelectric oxide thin films with silicon-based devices. In this work, we demonstrate that lead-free potassium sodium niobate (KNN) piezoelectric thin films fabricated by chemical solution deposition (CSD) exhibit markedly different structural and functional responses when subjected to varying Ti concentrations, arising from both unintentional Ti diffusion and intentional Ti doping. It was found that Ti4+ ions incorporated into the KNN lattice substitute Nb5+ at B site, acting as acceptor defects to compensate donor-type oxygen vacancies, forming the defect complexes [Ti′Nb−VO..]. and [Ti′Nb−VO..−Ti′Nb]. These defect complexes reduced the dielectric constant, suppressed dielectric loss, and enhanced electric-field induced strain. At 1 mol % Ti doping, multiphase coexistence was observed, enabling polarization rotation. The coexistence of defects and multiphases yield a remarkably large effective piezoelectric coefficient d33eff equivalent to 272 pm/V at 1.5 kHz. These findings establish a pathway for defect and phase engineering in perovskite oxides and highlight the significance of Ti control for reliable integration of high-performance, lead-free piezoelectric films with silicon-based devices.

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