Budesonide (BUD) is a potent inhaled corticosteroid widely used for treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of the present study was to develop carrier free inhaled dry powder containing only BUD using supercritical fluid particle design (SCF PD) technique. The powder was perpetrated using the proprietary apparatus of SCF PD-Lab and characterized in terms of crystal behavior, surface property and suitability for pulmonary delivery. SCF PD-BUD powder shown itself large specific area and lower surface energy measured by iGC-SEA, and the aerodynamic performances relative to the milled powder and the marketed Pulmicort (R) powder was considerably improved, the pulmonary deposition rate increased substantially up to FPF<5 mu m = 32.9% which was comparable to the Pulmicort (R) powder of FPF<5 mu m= 28.4%. The proprietary SCF PD technique was capable of simultaneously tailoring particle size, morphology and physical properties toward an enhancing aerodynamic performance and pulmonary deposition rate of the carrier free inhaled dry powder. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.