We have investigated the microstructures and electronic structures of a series of hafnium aluminate ͑HfAlO͒ films with Al concentration ranging from 0% to 100%. When the films evolve from pure HfO 2 to pure Al 2 O 3 by increasing the aluminum content, we find changes in their radial distribution functions, which disclose the short-range order of the materials, despite the amorphous nature of all films. The HfAlO films ͑with Al/ Hf ratio ranging from 0.25 to 5.8͒ appear to be a single glassy phase of Hf, Al, and O, instead of simple mixtures of HfO 2 and Al 2 O 3 . The Hf ͑Al͒-O, Hf ͑Al͒-Al, and Hf-Hf bonds are observed to be insensitive to the amount of Al in the film, except when the Al concentration is large ͑Al/ Hfϳ 5.8͒, in which case the bonding is similar to that in pure Al 2 O 3 . Although the local symmetry of Hf in amorphous HfO 2 is suggested by the electron energy-loss spectrum taken at an oxygen K edge, it is largely disrupted when Al is introduced. The valence electron energy-loss spectroscopy reveals three distinct evolving features as the Al content increases, which we discuss in terms of the electronic structure of HfO 2 .