Zn1-xMgxO thin films are epitaxially grown on (1 1 1) Si substrates using intervening epitaxial Lu2O3 buffer layers by pulsed laser deposition. Lu2O3 buffer layer on Si substrate is essential to the Zn1-xMgxO epitaxial growth. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence measurements reveal that the Zn1-xMgxO films have high quality structural and optical properties. The films with thickness of 650 nm have a resistivity of 4.18 Omega cm, a Hall mobility of 16.97 cm(2)V(-1)s(-1), and an electron concentration of 8.80 x 10(16) cm(-3) at room temperature. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.