Catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) has been developed to deposit alumina (Al2O3) thin films on silicon (Si) crystals using N-2 bubbled tri-methyl aluminum [Al(CH3)(3), TMA] and molecular oxygen (O-2) as source species and tungsten wires as a catalyzer. The catalyzer dissociated TMA at approximately 600 degreesC. The maximum deposition rate was 18 nm min(-1) at a catalyzer temperature of 1000 degreesC and substrate temperature of 800 degreesC. Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) diodes were fabricated using gates composed of 32.5-nm-thick alumina film deposited at a substrate temperature of 400 degreesC. The capacitance measurements resulted in a relative dielectric constant of 7.4, fixed charge density of 1.74 x 10(12) cm(-2), small hysteresis voltage of 0.12 V. and very few interface trapping charges. The leakage current was 5.01 X 10(-7) A cm(-2) at a gate bias of 1 V. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.