Ferroelectric barium strontium titanate (BaxSr1-xTiO3, BST) thin films have been prepared by depositing a very thin layer of BST on the substrate as a seeding layer, which was expected to enhance crystal growth during heat treatment. SEM analysis data indicate that bigger grains were obtained for films coated with a seeding layer compared with films without a seeding layer. The polarization at E = 0 and the field at P = 0 of the sample prepared with a seeding layer are 2.6 muC/cm(2) and 20kV/cm, respectively. The leakage current density of the thin film prepared with a seeding layer Lit +/-40 kV/cm (+/-1 V) is about 9 x 10(-8) A /cm(2). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.