⟨001⟩ textured (K0.5Na0.5)Nb0.97Sb0.03)O3 piezoelectric ceramics with high electromechanical coupling over a broad temperature range

< 001 >-oriented (K0.5Na0.5)Nb0.97Sb0.03)O-3 (KNNS) ceramics with a narrow orientation distribution (full width at half maximum= 7.0 degrees) were produced by templated grain growth using NaNbO3 templates. Excellent electromechanical properties were obtained from -70 degrees C to the polymorphic phase transition (PPT) at 160 degrees C. Textured KNNS ceramics show very high electromechanical coupling factors k(p)=0.64 and k(31)=0.37, high piezoelectric constants d(33)=208-218 pC/N and d(31)=-82 pC/N, and modest strain hysteresis (6.3%) at room temperature. These properties are superior to those of randomly oriented KNN-based ceramics with similar PPT temperatures. c 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3271682]