ZrO 2 thin films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO 2/Si and SiO 2/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), respectively. Spreading resistance profile (SRP) was used to study the resistivity distribution across the ZrO 2 thin films. The relations between the crystal structure and substrate temperature were tested, using X ray diffraction (XRD). The surface roughness of ZrO 2 thin films is measured accurately and the influence of the crystal structure of the ZrO 2 thin films on their electrical I-V characteristics is birefly discussed.