The growth and characterization of a SrTiO3 film by molecular beam deposition process have been studied. After Sr deposition on the chemically formed SiO2/Si surface, a stable and well-ordered Si(0 0 I)-Sr(2 x 1) surface was formed. The SrTiO3 films were grown on the Si(0 0 I)-Sr(2 x 1) surface at 80 degrees C in a molecular oxygen partial pressure of approximately 3 x 10(-7) Ton: and subsequently in situ post-annealed at various high temperatures without oxygen supply in ultra-high vacuum (< 2.5 x 10(-9) Torr). The combined reflection high-energy electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy analyses suggest that the SrTiO3 film grown at 80 degrees C is amorphous nature. The lowest post-annealing temperature from amorphous-to-crystal transformation of the SrTiO3 film is approximately 485 degrees C. The quality of the crystalline SrTiO3 films is further improved by post-annealing at temperatures between 600 and 700 degrees C. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.