Alumina plates with a center, thin layer composed of Al 2O 3 and ZrO 2 (equal volume fractions) have been produced by sequential slip casting. Central layers as thin as 4 μm were fabricated using a low solid content slurry, but were observed to segregate the two oxides due to segregation of the consolidated layers during slip casting. Thicker layers were homogenous. The ZrO 2 tetragonal to monoclinic transformation generated residual, compressive stresses in the thin, center layer. Edge cracking and crack bifurcation was observed when the compressive layer thickness was ⩾ 25 μm.