Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O-3 (PZT) thin films with thickness near 0.8 mu m were prepared on LaNiO3 buffered Ti, NiCr and stainless steel (SS) substrates by the sol-gel methods. PZT thin films crystallized into the perovskite structure at temperatures of >= 550 degrees C. The room-temperature dielectric constant, tan delta, remnant polarization and coercive field achieved of 433, 0.03, 20 mu C/cm(2) and 50 kV/cm, respectively, for PZT thin films prepared on the NiCr substrate. ne Curie temperature of PZT thin films on Ti, NiCr and SS was determined to be 330, 360 and 410 degrees C, respectively. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.