Pb(Zr,Ti)O-3 (PZT) thin films were prepared on (111) Pt-coated Si substrates by a chemical solution deposition method using zirconyl heptanoate as zirconium source instead of commonly used zirconium alkoxides. The effects of processing conditions on the microstructure and electrical properties of the PZT thin films were investigated. The texture of the PZT thin films could be changed by selecting different heat-treatment methods. Orientation-dependent electrical properties, including dielectric constant, polarization, and coercive field, were examined. The randomly oriented PZT thin films annealed at 600degreesC for 0.5 h showed a well-defined ferroelectric hysteresis loop with a remanent polarization of 18 muC/cm(2) and a coercive field of 74 kV/cm. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.