Defect, phase coexistence, and electromechanical properties of thin films with intentional and unintentional doping
Phys. Rev. Applied 25, 054018 – Published 7 May, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/3s5n-nkcp
Abstract
The 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 concentrations, arising from both unintentional diffusion and intentional doping. It was found that ions incorporated into the KNN lattice substitute at B site, acting as acceptor defects to compensate donor-type oxygen vacancies, forming the defect complexes and . These defect complexes reduced the dielectric constant, suppressed dielectric loss, and enhanced electric-field induced strain. At 1 mol % doping, multiphase coexistence was observed, enabling polarization rotation. The coexistence of defects and multiphases yield a remarkably large effective piezoelectric coefficient 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 control for reliable integration of high-performance, lead-free piezoelectric films with silicon-based devices.