The compositionally graded and homogeneous Ba(ZrTi)O (BZT) thin films were fabricated on LaNiO (LNO) buffered Pt/Ti/SiO/Si and Pt/Ti/SiO/Si substrates by a sol-gel deposition method, respectively. These films crystallized into a single perovskite phase. The BZT thin films deposited on LaNiO/Pt/Ti/SiO/Si substrates had a highly (1 0 0) preferred orientation and exhibited a preferred (1 1 0) orientation when the thin films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO/Si substrates. The LNO and Ba(ZrTi) served as seed layer on Pt/Ti/SiO/Si substrates and analyze the relationship of seed layer, microstructure and dielectric behavior of the thin films. The compositionally graded thin films from BaTiO to BaZrTiO were fabricated on LNO/Pt/Ti/SiO/Si substrates. The tunability behavior of compositionally graded films was analyzed in order to produce optimum effective dielectric properties. The dielectric constant of BaZrTiO compositionally graded thin films showed weak temperature dependence. This kind of thin films has a potential in a fabrication of a temperature stable tunable device. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l.