La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 (LSMO) thin films were fabricated on alumina substrates by an improved sol-gel dip-coating process. It was found that multiple dip-coating process could not be performed until the pre-firing temperature reached 600 degrees C. Different amounts of LSMO powders were added to precursor solution with an aim to avoid cracks in LSMO thin films during calcining caused by the shrinkage mismatch between the film and the substrate. The structure and surface morphology of the films prepared from precursors with and without LSMO powders were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that the addition of 56.4 wt.% LSMO powders into the sol-gel precursor solution significantly modified the microstructure of films. A single LSMO perovskite phase was obtained on alumina substrate after calcining at 800 degrees C for 4 h by the improved sol-gel method. The sheet resistance of the films prepared with different processing parameters was measured by four-point dc method. Results indicated that the sheet resistance of films decreased with increasing the number of coating applications and the amount of LSMO powders. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.