Konsago S.W., Koblar M., Žiberna K., Matavž A., Mandal B., Glinšek S., Bobnar V., Benčan A., Malič B.
Journal of Alloys and Compounds, vol. 1047, art. no. 185124, 2025
The microstructure and crystalline orientation evolution of manganese-doped 0.5Ba(Zr<sub>0.2</sub>Ti<sub>0.8</sub>)O<sub>3</sub>—0.5(Ba<sub>0.7</sub>Ca<sub>0.3</sub>)TiO<sub>3</sub> (BZT—BCT) thin films deposited on platinized sapphire and multistep-annealed at 850 °C are reported. The crack-free 680 nm thick BZT—BCT films with an average lateral grain size of 140 nm exhibit preferential {111} orientation on the surface confirmed by the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) analysis reveals the evolution of preferential {111} and {110} orientation of columnar grains along the film thickness, that is, in the grain-growth direction. The formation of pores at the interface of the film and substrate is observed and related to the migration of pores and grain boundaries. The dielectric permittivity and losses of 840 and 0.02, respectively, at 1 kHz, are measured at room temperature. The maximum polarization and strain at an electric field of 1.2 MV∙cm<sup>−1</sup> are about 32 μC∙cm<sup>−2</sup> and 0.35 %, respectively. The piezoelectric d<sub>33</sub> coefficient of 42 pm∙V<sup>−1</sup> was measured by double-beam laser interferometry.
