title: Unleashing the Full Sustainable Potential of Thick Films of Lead-Free Potassium Sodium Niobate (K0.5Na0.5NbO3) by Aqueous Electrophoretic Deposition.
abstract: A current challenge for the fabrication of functional oxide-based devices is related with the need of environmental and sustainable materials and processes. By considering both lead-free ferroelectrics of potassium sodium niobate (K0.5Na0.5NbO3, KNN) and aqueous-based electrophoretic deposition here we demonstrate that an eco-friendly aqueous solution-based process can be used to produce KNN thick coatings with improved electromechanical performance. KNN thick films on platinum substrates with thickness varying between 10 and 15 μm have a dielectric permittivity of 495, dielectric losses of 0.08 at 1 MHz, and a piezoelectric coefficient d33 of ∼70 pC/N. At TC these films display a relative permittivity of 2166 and loss tangent of 0.11 at 1 MHz. A comparison of the physical properties between these films and their bulk ceramics counterparts demonstrates the impact of the aqueous-based electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique for the preparation of lead-free ferroelectric thick films. This opens the door to the possible development of high-performance, lead-free piezoelectric thick films by a sustainable low-cost process, expanding the applicability of lead-free piezoelectrics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering, CICECO, Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro , 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering, CICECO, Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro , 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pinho
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering, CICECO, Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro , 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.|Science of Ceramic Processing and Surface Treatments, University of Limoges , 87060 Limoges, France.
authors.forename: Morgane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dolhen
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering, CICECO, Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro , 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: M Elisabete
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials and Ceramic Engineering, CICECO, Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro , 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paula M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Vilarinho