Bilayered LiNbO3 (LN) thin films were successfully deposited onto In2O3:SnO2 (ITO)-coated Si substrates by radio-frequency sputtering. The crystalline perfection and crystallographic orientation could be significantly improved by LiNbO3 template surface. This paper reviews the structural, morphological, compositional and ferroelectric properties of such as-grown heterostructures underlying key issues concerning the strategy used to improve the crystal quality and control the layer polarity. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.