Lutetium oxide (Lu2O3) films were prepared by a simple Pechini sol-gel method with LuCl(3)center dot 6H(2)O as precursor for the first time. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis were used to study the thermal chemistry properties of dried get. Structural properties of Lu2O3 films heat-treated at different temperature were investigated through X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results show that Lu2O3 starts to crystallize at about 400 degrees C and the crystallite size increases with the increasing annealing temperature. The dopant Eu3+ presents its typical emission in Lu2O3:Eu films. The effect of heat-treatment temperature on the luminescent properties (broadening of emission peak and change of lifetimes of energy level) of the films was also discussed. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.