STRUCTURAL EFFECTS IN THE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT OF RARE EARTH OXIDES: Nd_2O_3

摘要

Thin films of Nd_2O_3 have been studied. For the amorphous phase the dielectric constant is ~ 11 whilst the refractive index is 1.76 ± 0.02, in the cubic form these values are ~ 13.6 — 15.4 and 1.93 ± 0.02. Hexagonal films have dielectric constants in the range 17 — 21 and estimates based upon the cubic values lead to k ~ 27, we were unable to determine a reliable refractive index value. The normally high temperature hexagonal phase could be nucleated on a Si substrate by deposition at relatively low temperature ~ 280 °C.