Determination of crystallographic orientation of lead-free piezoelectric (K,Na)NbO3 epitaxial thin films grown on SrTiO3 (100) surfaces

Crystallographic structure of sol-gel-processed lead-free (K,Na)NbO3 (KNN) epitaxial films on [100]-cut SrTiO3 single-crystalline substrates was investigated for a deeper understanding of its piezoelectric response. Lattice parameter measurement by high-resolution X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the orthorhombic KNN films on SrTiO3 (100) surfaces are [010] oriented (b-axis-oriented) rather than commonly identified c-axis orientation. Based on the crystallographic orientation and corresponding ferroelectric domain structure investigated by piezoresponse force microscopy, the superior piezoelectric property along b-axis of epitaxial KNN films than other orientations can be explained.