Lead‐free (Na0.53K0.45Li0.02)(Nb0.8Ta0.2)O3 (NKLNT) was prepared using a conventional cold‐pressing method. A commercial piezoresponse force microscope (PFM) was applied to observe the domain structures of NKLNT ceramics. The typical configuration of the ferroelectric domain was analyzed in abnormal grains with grain sizes that exceeded 40 μm, where tetragonal 90° domains are predominant. The local piezoresponse hysteresis loops were characterized and studied as a function of the domain width (dw) in the range 300–1000 nm. It was found that the amplitude signals increased and the coercive field reduced significantly with a decrease in the domain size. Finally, the local longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d33) increased as the domain size decreased.

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We prepared Li0.04(K0.5Na0.5) x (Nb y Sb0.06)O3 ceramics using the conventional solid-state sintering method and investigated the non-stoichiometric effect on sintering behavior and electrical properties in these material systems. The deficiency of B-site ions gave rise to poor densities, while the densification was improved by adding excess Nb2O5. As the vacancy concentration in the A-site of the perovskite structure increased, the diffuse phase transition was enhanced and the transition temperature (T o–t) was lowered. Furthermore, high deficiency in the A-site with x=0.90 and y=0.98 promoted a second phase formation. An increase of alkali cation vacancies led to large remnant polarization and enhanced a pinched hysteresis loop, while the remnant polarization decreased due to a second phase formation. The electro-mechanical coupling factors were significantly influenced by density and second phase formation, not non-stoichiometry, while dielectric constants were influenced by non-stoichiometry, not second phase formation.