The influence of film thickness on the material properties of aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films deposited on Pt(111) electrodes has been investigated experimentally by means of x-ray diffraction, dielectric response, atomic force microscopy, interferometry measurement of effective d(33), and residual stress measurement. The thickness was varied between 35 nm and 2 mum. Full width at mid-height of the rocking curve decreased from 2.60 to 1.14degrees, rms roughness increased from 3.8 to 18.6 Angstrom, the effective d(33), namely d(33f), from 2.75 to 5.15 pm/V. The permittivity epsilon(AIN) was stable at 10.2, whereas the dielectric losses decreased from 1% to 0.1%. The breakdown electric field under do voltages varied between 4.0 and 5.5 MV/cm. (C) 2004 American Vacuum Society.