La modified SBT (Sr0.8La0.1Bi2.1Ta2O9) thin films of different thickness were fabricated on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by the metalorganic decomposition technique. All the films were annealed layer-by-layer at 800 degrees C using a rapid thermal annealing furnace. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the relative intensity of the (2 0 0) diffraction peak [I(2 0 0)/I(1 15)] increased with the increase of the film thickness. Eventually, an a-axis preferentially oriented SLBT film was obtained. These results are discussed with respect to the anisotropy of the grain growth. The a-axis preferentially oriented SLBT film, whose relative intensity of the (2 0 0) peak [I(2 0 0)/I(1 15)] was 1.05, had a remanent polarization (2P(r)) value of 21 mu C/cm(2) and a coercive field (2E(c)) value of 70 kV/cm under the electric field of 200 kV/cm. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.