The 0.2Bi(Zn 1/2 Ti 1/2 )O 3 –0.8PbTiO 3 (0.2BZT–0.8PT) ferroelectric thin film was successfully fabricated on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO 2 /Si substrates by a sol–gel method. The result indicates that the film exhibits the (100) preferred orientation and has a relatively dense and uniform microstructure with a thickness of ~23002nm. The formation mechanism of the oriented films was ascribed to the growth of the (100) oriented PbO layer at ~45002°C during a layer-by-layer crystallization process. Temperature-dependent electrical properties of the 0.2BZT–0.8PT films were investigated, showing that the film has a potential for high temperature applications.