The properties of ZrCu and ZrCu-N films magnetron sputtered from an alloyed ZrCu (70/30 wt.%) target in Ar and Ar#N 2 at the same total pressure of 0.7 Pa, respectively, are reported. Zr and Cu are immiscible elements in this composition range resulting in characteristic film properties. A ZrCu film sputter deposited on an unheated substrate was nanocrystalline and characterized by one very broad (about 8Β°) X-ray reflection line; the substrate temperature ΒΉ s up to about 500Β°C did not affect the ZrCu nanocrystalline structure, but at ΒΉ s '500Β°C a recrystallization process started with a polycrystalline ZrCu film being formed. Addition of nitrogen to the ZrCu film converted the nanocrystalline film to a nanocomposite; and to separate clearly individual phases of this nanocomposite its substrate needed heating. ZrCu-N films sputtered at ΒΉ s 5500Β°C were nanocomposites composed of Cu and ZrN. The microhardness of the ZrCu film was about 750 kg/mm 2 and that of the ZrCu-N film increased with increasing partial pressure of nitrogen but at50.3 Pa N 2 it reached a maximum at a value of 2200 kg/mm 2 . The microhardness of ZrCu-N films reactively sputtered at 0.3 Pa N 2 was almost constant up to ΒΉ s "600Β°C.