The Pb(Zr0.5Ti0.5)O-3 films of a few micron in thickness have been successfully deposited by sol-gel technique from nonhydrolyzed metal alkoxide precursor solutions. X-ray diffraction shows that the films exhibit a single perovskite phase with (100)-preferred orientation. SEM study indicates that PZT films possess a dense microstructure with no crack and void. A Pt/PZT/LaNiO3 capacitor has been fabricated and showed excellent ferroelectricity, with a remnant polarization up to 53 muC/cm(2). The optical waveguide property has been examined by the prism-film coupling experiment. Multimodes are excited, indicating that the PZT thick films are potentially useful for optical waveguide devices. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.