ZnO nanocrystallite films were grown on pyrex by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements revealed that the film was grown with ZnO (0001) surfaces parallel to the substrate. Optical transition due to free excitons was observed from both absorbance and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The film also showed strong second harmonic generation (SHG). These results demonstrate the high quality of such films. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.