Synthesis of LaWN3 nitride perovskite with polar symmetry

Abstract

Oxide materials with the perovskite structure have been used in sensors and actuators for half a century, and halide perovskites transformed photovoltaics research in the past decade. Nitride perovskites have been computationally predicted to be stable, but few have been synthesized, and their properties remain largely unknown. We synthesized and characterized a nitride perovskite lanthanum tungsten nitride (LaWN₃) in the form of oxygen-free sputtered thin films, according to spectroscopy, scattering, and microscopy techniques. We report a large piezoelectric response measured with scanning probe microscopy that together with synchrotron diffraction confirm polar symmetry of the perovskite LaWN₃. Our LaWN₃ synthesis should inspire growth of other predicted nitride perovskites, and measurements of their properties could lead to functional integration with nitride semiconductors for microelectromechanical devices.