La-doped Bi2Ti2O7 thin films have been grown on P-type Si <100> substrates by a chemical solution decomposition method. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the crystallinity of the films increases with increasing annealing temperature. The effects of various temperatures upon the structure of crystallization were investigated. The insulation characteristic and dielectric properties were also studied. The film annealed at 700 degreesC consists of pyrochlore phase and perovskite phase, which has relatively low leakage current and high dielectric constant. The results revealed that the film annealed at 700 degreesC has good insulating properties and can be considered to be used in advanced MOS transistors. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.