The preparation of dense electrolyte films for most electrochemical devices is a crucial technological process. Net shape technology is a new approach, which uses a combination of colloidal suspensions and polymer precursor techniques, to obtain the dense electrolyte layers. It allows the overlapping of the thickness range from 1 to 10 mum in which other preparation techniques experience difficulties. Net shape processing is a low-temperature technology (preparation temperature can be as low as 400degreesC) and it eliminates shrinkage of the film during the densification stage, so chemical reactions between the substrate and the film can be minimized. In this study two types of dense substrates were used to confirm these features of the net shape technology: single-crystal sapphire and platinum foil. It was shown that dense yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) layers can be obtained on both types of substrates at temperatures as low as 400degreesC. Moreover, further higher annealing temperature does not produce either shrinkage or cracking of the film. Electrical properties of YSZ films were measured in plane (on sapphire) and through the film (on platinum) using impedance spectroscopy, and two-probe dc methods. (C) 2005 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.