ZnO epitaxial films were deposited on LiNbO3 (0 0 0 1) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The smaller lattice misfit ( - 8.5%) between ZnO along [1 0 (1) over bar 0] - direction and LiNbO3 (0 0 0 1) along [1 1 (2) over bar 0] - direction, as compared with that in the case of normally used sapphire (0001) substrates, favored the epitaxial growth of ZnO films. The transmittance spectra of ZnO films deposited in vacuum after annealed in pure oxygen show a sharp absorption edge at 375.6 nm (E-g = 3.31 eV).