FePt magnetic thin films (20 nm) were deposited on SrTiO3(100) single-crystal substrates at 150, 250, and 350 degrees C by DC magnetron sputtering. The dependence of the structural and magnetic properties of the FePt films on the substrate temperature was studied. At 150 degrees C, the FePt film showed a (111) preferred orientation. At 250 degrees C, the superlattice FePt (001) peak appeared indicating that the ordering process had occurred. At 3 50 degrees C, the FePt film illustrated a (0 0 1) preferred orientation. The epitaxial relationship between FePt film and SrTiO3 substrate was demonstrated to be FePt (001) < 100 > parallel to SrTiO3 (100) < 100 > with high resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD). The L1(0) ordered FePt film sputtered at 350 degrees C showed a well-controlled easy-axis distribution (the degree of the FePt (001) preferred orientation was indirectly characterized by the full-width at half-maximum of the FePt (202) rocking curve similar to 0.9 degrees) as well as a high K. value (similar to 1.56 x 10(7) erg/cm(3)). (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.