Dielectric barium zirconate (BaZrO3, BZO) films were prepared by physical vapor deposition and a novel hydrothermal duplex technique. Zirconium nitride films were first deposited on Si substrates by hollow cathode discharge plasma ion plating (HCD-IP). Subsequently, the ZrN-coated Si specimens were soaked in Ba(CH3COO)(2) and NaOH mixed alkaline solutions with a galvanic couple setup in the temperatures range of 55-95 degrees C for 1-24 h. X-ray diffraction results confirmed that cubic BZO films were successfully prepared on ZrN/Si. The growth rate of BZO films on ZrN is much faster than that on bulk-Zr. The crystallinity, lattice parameter, and relative peak intensities were determined. Moreover, the morphology of the obtained BZO films was investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The BZO films exhibited a nanolayered structure and the thickness could reach about 2 mu m after 15 h in the solution at 90 degrees C. The dependence of the film morphology and thickness on the reaction temperature and the time in the solution is discussed. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.