Textured K0.5Na0.5NbO3 piezoelectric ceramics produced by vat photopolymerization-based additive manufacturing

Abstract

Texturing of lead-free piezoelectric K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃ (KNN) has gained significant interest due to increased piezoelectric response along 〈100〉_pc directions. However, conventional processing methods used for texturing are limited to simple geometries. Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly referred to as 3D printing, presents a promising alternative, capable of producing intricate shapes with enhanced electromechanical properties and extended functionalities that are difficult or impossible to achieve through traditional methods. This study establishes the fabrication of textured KNN ceramics using blade-assisted bottom-up vat photopolymerization (VPP)-based AM in conjunction with heteroepitaxial templated grain growth. The textured KNN fabricated via VPP demonstrates a strong 〈100〉_pc texture with a Lotgering factor of 96 %, comparable to what is commonly obtained by conventional tape casting and close to the highest Lotgering factor reported for any ceramics textured through AM. The piezoelectric performance of the textured KNN sample produced through VPP shows a 77 % increase compared to untextured KNN.