In this study, ZnO thin films were fabricated using the rf magnetron sputtering method and their piezoelectrical and optical characteristics were investigated for various substrate temperatures. The ZnO thin film has the largest crystallization orientation for the (0 0 2) peak and the smallest FWHM value of 0.56 degrees at a substrate temperature of 200 degrees C. The surface morphology shows a relatively dense surface structure at 200 degrees C compared to the other substrate temperatures. The surface roughness shows the smallest of 1.6 nm at a substrate temperature of 200 degrees C. The piezoelectric constant of the ZnO thin film measured using the pneumatic loading method (PLM) has a maximum value of 11.9 pC/N at a substrate temperature of 200 degrees C. The transmittance of the ZnO thin film measured using spectrophotometry with various substrate temperatures ranged from 75 to 93% in the visible light region. By fitting the refractive index from the transmittance to the Sellmeir dispersion relation, we can predict the refractive index of the ZnO thin film according to the wavelength. In the visible light range, the refraction index of the ZnO thin film deposited at a substrate temperature of 200 degrees C is the range of 1.88-2.08. (c) 2007 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.