Epitaxial ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.41)O-3 (PZT) thin films were successfully fabricated on LaAlO3 substrates using an inorganic zirconium source by the sol-gel method. Single-phase perovskite formation was achieved by rapid thermal anneal at 650 degreesC. Temperature dependence of the structural and morphological characteristics of sol-gel-derived PZT films were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction theta -2 theta scan, rocking curve, and phi -scan, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The films showed better epitaxy and density with smaller roughness. In addition, the characteristic of sol-gel-derived PZT thin films using the mixed PZT powder/precursor solution was also studied.