Amorphous aluminum oxynitride (AlON) possesses unique properties of high dielectric strength, high resistivity, low loss, high decomposition temperature, chemical inertness, and high thermal conductivity. These properties make it a candidate for a next generation capacitor dielectric. DC pulsed magnetron reactive sputtering is used to produce amorphous AlON films on various substrates. Dielectric properties are optimized by adjusting DC power, pulse frequency, total pressure, substrate temperature, and gas ratio. Simple parallel plate structures are utilized to characterize the dielectric properties. Clearable electrodes are evaluated in device performance. Defects cleared without significant loss of capacitance. Temperature dependent dielectric properties were evaluated from -200 degrees C to +400 degrees C. Stacked multilayer capacitor device is developed for high energy density and wide temperature applications. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.