Covering the physics, materials, devices, and fabrication processes for high-k gate dielectric materials, this text systematically describes how the fundamental electronic structures and other material properties of the transition and rare earth metals affect the electrical properties of the dielectric films, the dielectric/silicon and the dielectric/metal gate interfaces, and the resulting device properties. Specific topics include the problems and solutions encountered with high-k material thermal stability, defect density, and poor initial interface with silicon substrate. The text also addresses the essence of thin film deposition, etching, and process integration of high-k materials in an actual CMOS process.