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

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 εr = 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 εr = 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.