A dielectric film having a layer of a lanthanide oxide and a layer of another lanthanide oxide, and a method of fabricating such a dielectric film produce a reliable gate dielectric with a equivalent oxide thickness thinner than attainable using SiO.sub.2. A gate dielectric may be formed as a nanolaminate of a lanthanide oxide and a lanthanide oxide selected from the group consisting of Nd.sub.2O.sub.3, Sm.sub.2O.sub.3, Gd.sub.2O.sub.3, and Dy.sub.2O.sub.3 by electron beam evaporation. These gate dielectrics having a lanthanide oxide nanolaminate are thermodynamically stable such that the nanolaminate forming the gate dielectric will have minimal reactions with a silicon substrate or other structures during processing.