Colloidal synthesis of Gd³⁺ doped ZrO₂ based dielectrics and their structural and electrochemical property studies

Solution processed wide band gap dielectrics have nowadays started to receive renewed interest for practical application in semiconductor electronics. In this regard, undoped and gadolinium (Gd) doped zirconia (ZrO₂) nanocrystallites were colloidally processed and their potential for dielectric applications has been demonstrated. X-ray diffraction measurements revealed the effective crystallization of nanostructures and the successful substitution of Gd ions into the cubic ZrO₂ matrix. The particulate-like characteristics of undoped and Gd doped ZrO₂ nanostructures were examined through the electron microscopes, which hardly revealed any difference among them. The optical band gap of ZrO₂ nanostructures was determined to be around 4.64–4.80 eV from the absorbance measurements. The potential of Gd doped ZrO₂ nanostructures for dielectric functions were evaluated through electrochemical impedance spectroscopic measurements. The improved capacitance values estimated from the Nyquist plots suggests the potential of the investigated materials for low power and low voltage electronic applications.