This paper describes the structural properties and electrical characteristics of thin Dy2O3 dielectrics deposited on silicon substrates by means of reactive sputtering. The structural and morphological features of these films after postdeposition annealing were studied by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is found that Dy2O3 dielectrics annealed at 700 degrees C exhibit a thinner capacitance equivalent thickness and better electrical properties, including the interface trap density and the hysteresis in the capacitance-voltage curves. Under constant current stress, the Weibull slope of the charge-to-breakdown of the 700 degrees C-annealed films is about 1.6. These results are attributed to the formation of well-crystallized Dy2O3 structure and the reduction of the interfacial SiO2 layer. (C) 2010 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.