Enhanced tunability and temperature-dependent dielectric characteristics at microwaves of K0.5Na0.5NbO3 thin films epitaxially grown on (100)MgO substrates

Abstract K0.5Na0.5NbO3 thin films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition on (100)MgO substrates for microwave device applications. A fine epitaxial growth of pure perovskite phase was evidenced by X-ray diffraction. Dielectric characterizations were performed from 1 to 40 GHz using coplanar microwave devices printed on the 500 nm-thick K0.5Na0.5NbO3 thin films. Dielectric permittivity er = 355 and loss tangent tanδ = 0.35 at 10 GHz were retrieved without biasing. A comparison of the results with those retrieved from the resonant cavity method (to characterize as-deposited films) showed no deleterious influence neither from the device patterning nor the thin film-device interface. A frequency tunability up to 22% was measured under a moderate external DC bias electric field Ebias = 94 kV/cm. Temperature measurements from 20 to 240°C exhibited a permittivity increase up to er = 975 coupled to a loss decrease tanδ = 0.25 at 10 GHz. According to such measurements, an orthorhombic-tetragonal phase transition was evidenced close to 220°C with an increase of the frequency tunability up to 34%. Comparison of the properties of such films with those grown on R-plane sapphire substrates demonstrated the benefit brought by the epitaxial growth of K0.5Na0.5NbO3 films on (100) MgO.