Phase-controlled synthesis of ZrO2 nanoparticles for highly transparent dielectric thin films

The synthesis of ZrO2 nanoparticles with controlled phase contents of the monoclinic and tetragonal polymorphs is presented. By increasing the reaction temperature the quantity of the tetragonal phase rises from 20% to almost 100%, with additional dependence on the liner material of the reactor. Additionally, it is shown that by a simple post-synthetic chemical modification the nanoparticles can be dispersed in propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate without the presence of agglomerates. The obtained dispersions can then be employed to fabricate thin film based capacitors via low-temperature solution processing. Hence, the effect of the phase composition on the dielectric properties of the thin films is also elucidated.