PbO and PZT thin films were deposited on the p-type (10 0) Si substrate by the rf magnetron sputtering method with PbO and Pb1.1Zr0.53Ti0.47O3 targets for the application of the metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor (MFIS) structure. The MFIS structures with the PbO buffer layer show the good electric properties including a high memory window and a low leakage current density. The maximum value of the memory window is 2.0 V under the applied voltage of 9 V for the Pt/PZT (200 nm, 400 degrees C)/PbO (80 nm)/Si structures with the PbO buffer layer deposited at the substrate temperature of 300 T. From the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results, we could confirm that the substrate temperature of PbO affects the chemical states of the interface between the PbO buffer layer and Si substrate, which results in the inter-diffusion of Pb and the formation of the intermediate phases (PbSiO3). And the existence of the undesired SiO2 layer, which is the low dielectric layer, was confirmed at the surface region of the Si substrate by the XPS depth profile analysis. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.