Praseodymium based dielectric thin films have been deposited by Metal-Organic Chemical Vapour Deposition (MOCVD). Special emphasis has been placed upon deposition parameters crucial to obtain Pr2O3 phase and upon interfacial characterization. In addition, dielectric properties have been correlated to structural and compositional characteristics of praseodymium containing films. The breakdown (BD) characteristics of Pr2O3 films have been investigated by an innovative and handling approach based on C-AFM. Moreover, the BD kinetics have been elucidated considering the role of defects in the conduction mechanisms.