MgxNi1-xO thin films with a band-gap of 4.98 eV were Successfully prepared on quartz Substrates by sol-gel method. XPS, XRD ineasureirient results showed that MgXNi1-XO films with cubic NiO Structure were formed at 1000degreesC. UV-visible absorption results showed that the absorption edges of the films varied as the amount of Mg2+ changed. The film with x=0.3 showed a band-gap of 4.98eV, which implies possible application for solar-blind UV detection. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.