Perovskite CaZrO3gate dielectric thin films were prepared by the sol‐gel wet chemical technology, followed by post annealing in O2ambient at different temperatures from 550 to 700 °C. Based on our best knowledge, it is the first time in the literature to successfully prepare the CaZrO3thin films using wet chemical deposition methods, including sol‐gel and metallo‐organic decomposition (MOD) technique. These thin films were systematically characterized using differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Auger spectra (AES) and electrical and dielectric measurements. Using these techniques, the different reactions in various processing steps have been clarified. The dielectric constant of crystalline CaZrO3films is about 20 determined from the C‐f measurement and the thickness. The sol‐gel derived CaZrO3films exhibit stable dielectric properties nearly independent on the applied electrical field and frequency at room temperature. The leakage current density of the CaZrO3thin film annealed at 650 °C for 1 hour is approximately 9.5×10−8A/cm2at high applied electrical field 2.6 MV/cm. The high dielectric constant, low leakage current density and high breakdown strength suggest that the CaZrO3thin film is a promising candidate for gate applications. © 2003 American Institute of Physics