SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT) thin films fabricated by pulsed-laser deposition, on the same substrates and under different deposition conditions, were found showing different textures. The influence of the deposition condition on the texture of the SBT films can be explained by the variations in two aspects. One is the interactions between the plume and the substrate, the other is the composition of the laser-deposited film. The relations between the texture and the ferroelectric property of the films were also discussed. It was found that the ferroelectric properties, such as the polarization and the coercive field, had a strong dependence on the texture of the SBT films. These results are of interest for the fabrication of ferroelectric memories with fatigue-free SBT thin films. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.