Layered Ruddlesden-Popper phases of composition Lan+1NinO3n+1(n = 1, 2 and 3) have been epitaxially grown on SrTiO3 (0 0 1) or NdGaO3 (1 1 0) single crystal substrates using the pulsed laser deposition technique. X-ray diffraction analyses (theta/2 theta, rocking curves, and phi-scans) and atomic force microscopy confirms the high-quality growth of the series of films with low surface roughness values (less than 1 nm). In particular, epitaxial growth of the higher order phases (n = 2 and 3) of lanthanum nickelate have been demonstrated for the first time. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.