New ceramic candidate materials for thermal barrier coating (TBCs) application and modifications of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) have been increasingly studied, aiming at improving thermal cycling resistance and thermal insulation of TBCs. A novel Gd2O3-Yb2O3 doped YSZ/YSZ double ceramic layered TBC was prepared by means of electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD), where the undoped YSZ top layer is featured with clusters of columns with sub-grains growing around columns, while the doped YSZ bottom layer feather-like structure. The TBC showed structure stability after 190 h heat treatment at 1373 K. The double layered TBC exhibited thermal cycling lifetime of more than 360 h, much higher than that of the single YSZ TBC. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.