Perovskite dielectric oxide thin films are tremendously important because of their promising applications in microelectronics and optic-electronic devices. Towards scalable applications of these materials, the development of well-controlled and cost-effective fabrication techniques is still under development. Here, recent progresses in the fabrication of perovskite dielectric oxide thin films by using a generic chemical solution deposition technique named polymer-assisted deposition (PAD) are reviewed. In this technique, metal ions are bonded to water-soluble polymers, forming stable and homogeneous precursor solutions of metallic ions surrounded by polymers which prevent hydrolysis of metal ions. Fabrication of the perovskite dielectric oxide thin films using the PAD technique, both on single crystal substrates and base metallic substrates, has been realised with good controllability. The qualities of the films are comparable with those of the ones prepared by physical-vapour deposition techniques.

Since the proposal of the notion of nanodielectric, the space charge characteristics of nanodielectrics have been widely investigated. With the addition of nanoparticles, some nanodielectrics exhibit smaller space charge accumulation amount during the polarisation, and also faster charge decay during the depolarisation, which is believed to be related to the interfacial layer between the nanoparticle and the base material. In this study, the space charge measurement methods, theoretical models, and experimental results are reviewed in detail. Space charge measurement methods have been greatly improved after more than 20 years development. The nature of the interfacial layer between the nanoparticle and the base material has been investigated in detail, and based on that, several models are proposed to explain some electrical experimental results of nanodielectrics. Furthermore, the parameters of nanoparticle (such as the type, size, amount, shape, and the surface modification), the experimental conditions, and the base material properties can strongly affect the space charge characteristics of nanodielectrics. This study will provide useful research results and conclusions for researchers, and may also be an overview for recent study and an outlook for future investigation on space charge characteristics of nanodielectrics.

The composites reported here were prepared through a melt-rolling mixing process, in which surface passivated multi-wall carbon nanotube and poly(vinylidene fluoride) were used as the filler and the matrix, respectively. X-ray diffraction, precision inductance–capacitance–resistance, and laser flash thermal-diffusivity analyses were employed to characterise the structural, electrical and thermal properties. Results indicate that through the surface passivation of carbon nanotubes, the electrical resistivities of the composites were greatly enhanced, while the thermal conductivities do not change significantly. The electrical properties were discussed in comparison with the Maxwell–Wagner polarisation, universal law, and Gerhardt's method.