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A method of manufacturing potassium niobate single crystal thin film on a single crystal substrate that epitaxially grows orthorhombic potassium niobate single crystal at a temperature near room temperature at a high deposition rate. A surface acoustic wave element, frequency filter, frequency oscillator, electronics circuit, and electronic device employ the thin film manufactured by the method, and are high in k 2 , wideband, downsized, and economical in power consumption. The method includes the steps of coating liquid drops of a potassium niobate solution on a SrTiO 3 single crystal substrate by a liquid drop emission method, and precipitating potassium niobate single crystal layer by epitaxial growth from the liquid drops.

A surface acoustic wave element includes a single crystal substrate; a buffer layer formed by a crystal film that is formed on top of the single crystal substrate; and a piezoelectric thin film having a hexagonal system or a trigonal system crystal structure that is formed on top of the buffer layer. The surface acoustic wave element has an improved performance by improving the film quality of the piezoelectric thin film. In addition, because a semiconductor device can be formed on the single crystal substrate, the surface acoustic wave element can be integrated with the semiconductor device. Moreover, leakages of surface acoustic waves into the single crystal substrate are prevented. There are also provided a frequency filter, an oscillator, an electronic circuit, and an electronic instrument that are provided with this surface acoustic wave element.