ZnGa2O4 thin film phosphors have been grown on Si (10 0), Al2O3 (0001) and MgO (100) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. The structural characterization was carried out on a series of ZnGa2O4 films grown on various substrates under fixed substrate temperature and oxygen pressure 550degreesC and 100 mTorr, respectively. The films grown on these substrates not only have different crystallinity and surface morphology, but also the Zn/Ga composition ratio. The photoluminescence properties of pulsed laser deposited ZnGa2O4 thin films have indicated that Al2O3 (0001) and MgO (100) are promising substrates for the growth of high quality ZnGa2O4 thin films and luminescence brightness depends on the substrate. The luminescent spectra show a broad band extending from 350 to 600nm and peaking at 460 nm. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.