By employing YBCO/LAO thin films as seeds, we succeeded in growing REBa2Cu3Ox (REBCO, RE=Y, Sm) thick films via the LPE method in air. Remarkably, a completely covered YBCO thick film with the c-axis orientation was achieved. Moreover, SmBCO LPE films were effectively induced by the YBCO/LAO thin films at a processing temperature of 1055 degrees C, indicating that the YBCO/LAO thin film possesses a superheating property. Compared with the YBCO/MgO thin film, the YBCO/LAO thin film has a potentially higher thermal stability in LPE, due to its better lattice fitness at the film/substrate interface. On the other hand, compared to the thick films induced by NdGaO3 (NGO) substrates, YBCO/LAO thin-film-seeded thick films have the broad average spacing of about 150 mu m between adjacent cracks, almost five times wider than the former, which benefits the practical application in electronic devices. In short, the YBCO/LAO thin film becomes a third promising candidate for inducing REBCO LPE thick films, combined with conventionally used YBCO/MgO thin films and single-crystal NGO substrates. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.