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In this paper, nanostructured ZrO films were prepared by electron beam evaporation with the glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique. Columnar films with voids in between formed owing to the self-shadowing effect and the limited diffusion of deposited atoms. The microstructure evolves from slanted columnar structure to helical and pillar structures as the substrate rotational speed increases. The diameter of the columns is in the range of 30-50 nm. A higher rotational speed favors a larger nodule size and a greater surface roughness. Due to the porous structure, the refractive index n of GLAD ZrO films varies from 1.75 to 1.80, lower than that of bulk material. A maximum value of birefringence (Δ n=0.03) is obtained in a slanted columnar structure, and the relationship between birefringence and microstructure orientation is discussed. Our results demonstrate that glancing angle deposition is a feasible approach for designing the nanostructure and optical properties of thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]