Samarium and manganese modified lead titanate thin films were fabricated by spin-coating an amorphous citrate precursor. These films transformed into an oxide film upon heat treatment at 400 degrees Celcius or above. Relatively large area and crack-free thin films could be obtained by this process both easily and inexpensively. The rheological behavior of the precursor solution, as well as its thermal decomposition and phase development were studied by means of DSC/TGA and XRD. The thickness and grain size of the oxide film were examined by TEM and SEM