A transparent silica film with organic chromophore, Disperse Red 1 (DR1), as side chain was prepared in this study by the sol-gel process. Next, the film was baked at 120 degrees C with corona discharge poling. The resulting films exhibited a second harmonic response, d(33) = 46 pm V-1. High poling stability was observed when the film was maintained at 60 degrees C. The effects of HCl concentration on the molecular orientation and the thermal stability of the specimens were also investigated.