We fabricated Pt bottom electrodes on SiO2/Si and ZrO2/SiO2/Si substrates by DC magnetron sputtering. The residual stress of the Pt layers deposited on SiO2 and ZrO2/SiO2 diffusion barrier layers was measured by an X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The Pt layers deposited at 400 degrees C exhibited tensile residual stress, but the Pt layers deposited at room temperature exhibited compressive residual stress. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thick films were fabricated on the Pt electrodes by a screen printing method. The dielectric permittivity, tan delta, P-E hysteresis loop, breakdown field, coercive field and piezoelectric constant were measured for the PZT thick films. A PZT thick film on Pt/ZrO2/SiO2/Si displaying a low tensile residual stress exhibited the remanent polarization, coercive held, dielectric permittivity (epsilon(r)), dissipation factor (tan delta), breakdown field and piezoelectric constant (d(33)) of 13 mu C/cm(2), 8.5 kV/cm, 800, 0.015, 12 MV/m and 343 mu C/N, respectively.