Lanthanum Aluminate (LaAlO₃) is a high-performance ceramic oxide of the perovskite type, valued in electronics and materials science for its dielectric properties, thermal stability, and crystallographic compatibility with many functional oxide films. It offers an exceptional combination of mechanical robustness and electrical insulation that makes it attractive for a wide range of advanced material applications.
Material Overview
Lanthanum Aluminate crystallises in a distorted perovskite (ABO₃) structure where lanthanum ions occupy the A-site and aluminium ions occupy the B-site, surrounded by oxygen octahedra. The pseudocubic lattice parameter is approximately 3.79 Å at room temperature. The material exhibits a relative dielectric constant typically between 21 and 25, depending on the deposition process and film quality. Its band gap lies around 5.5 – 6.5 eV, giving strong insulating behaviour. Owing to its thermal stability, low leakage current, and chemical compatibility with silicon, LaAlO₃ is well suited for use as a high-κ dielectric in thin-film electronic applications.
Applications and Advantages
Lanthanum Aluminate is widely used as a substrate for epitaxial growth of other perovskite oxides, such as ferroelectrics, superconductors, and magnetic thin films, because of its close lattice matching and structural stability. It has been extensively explored as a gate dielectric in advanced CMOS technologies, offering excellent interface quality and enabling very low equivalent oxide thickness values. In microwave and capacitor technologies, LaAlO₃ films provide low dielectric loss and high breakdown strength. The material’s robustness at elevated temperatures also supports its use in catalytic systems and high-temperature electronics.
Goodfellow Availability
Goodfellow supplies Lanthanum Aluminate (LaAlO₃) in high-purity forms suitable for research and industrial applications, including single crystals, ceramics, and sputtering targets. Custom dimensions and fabrication options are available to meet specific design or operational requirements.
Explore Lanthanum Aluminate (LaAlO₃) and other advanced materials in Goodfellow’s online catalogue: Goodfellow product finder.
References
- Suzuki, M. (2012). Comprehensive study of Lanthanum Aluminate (LaAlO₃) high-dielectric-constant gate oxides for advanced CMOS devices. Materials, 5(3), 443-477. https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/5/3/443
- Edge, L. F., Schlom, D. G., Sivasubramani, P., Wallace, R. M., Holländer, B., & Schubert, J. (2006). Electrical characterization of amorphous lanthanum aluminate thin films grown by molecular‐beam deposition on silicon. Applied Physics Letters, 88(11), 112907 https://pubs.aip.org/aip/apl/article-abstract/88/11/112907/331688/Electrical-characterization-of-amorphous-lanthanum
- Mortada, H., et al. (2008). Structural investigation of the LaAlO₃(110) surface. Comptes Rendus Chimie, 11(4), 319-324. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0040609008009164