We have used high-pressure on-axis sputtering to deposit single crystalline epitaxial PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 either on SrRuO3/SrTiO3 or on SrTiO3 substrates. The PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 films possess a small mosaicity on both, on SrRuO3/SrTiO3 and on SrTiO3 substrates. PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 thin films have a larger out-of-plane lattice parameter and a smaller in-plane lattice parameter when it is grown on SrRuO3/SrTiO3 substrates. Atomic force microscopy reveals very smooth surfaces. The stoichiometry has been verified by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. Channeling measurements indicate that the crystalline quality of the PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 films grown on SrRuO3/SrTiO3 substrate is significantly improved compared to its deposition on blank SrTiO3 substrates. This observation is discussed in the framework of lattice mismatch, thermal expansion coefficients, interdiffusion at the PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3/SrRuO3 interface, the depolarization field in the ferroelectrics and the surface layer termination of the substrate. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.