Mist plasma evaporation was developed to prepare LaNiO3 thin films on n-Si(111) wafers at atmospheric pressure using lanthanum nitrate and nickel nitrate aqueous solution as precursor. The precursor was ultrasonically atomized into fine droplets and was transported to radio frequency inductively coupled plasma (ICP) by carrier gas to deposit thin films on substrate. The film was polycrystalline rhombohedral LaNiO3. The grain size of the films increased with the increase of precursor concentration. The resistivity of the LaNiO3 thin film was 2.54 mOmega cm and decreased to 0.77 mOmega cm after annealing at 400 degreesC for 2 h in air. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.