SiOx thin films were deposited using a gas mixture of hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS)/O-2/He/Ar from a remote-type dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) source, with/without the additional direct-type DBD just above the substrate (double discharge), and the effect of the double discharge on the characteristics of the SiOx thin film was investigated. The increase of HMDS flow rate and the decrease of oxygen flow rate in the gas mixture increased the SiOx-thin-film deposition rate. The improvement of the mechanical properties for SiOx film, in addition to the increase of deposition rate, is believed to be related not only to the higher gas dissociation because of the higher power deposition but also to the lesser recombination of oxygen atoms and dissociated HMDS due to the shorter diffusion length to the substrate. Published by Elsevier Ltd.