Abstract SrTiO 3 (STO) thin films were grown on Pt(1 1 1)/Ti/ α -Al 2 O 3 (0 0 0 1) substrates by ion beam sputter deposition. Growth temperature was varied between 600 and 750 °C, while Ti layer thickness was adjusted from 3 to 36 nm. Experimental results demonstrate that both the crystalline orientation and surface morphology are significantly dependent on change in the growth temperature and Ti layer thickness. From X-ray structural analysis, the STO thin films grown at 600 °C are perfectly (1 1 0)-oriented in spite of the change in Ti layer thickness. The STO thin films with a perfect (1 1 1) orientation are achievable at a sufficiently high growth temperature (≥700 °C) and a thin Ti layer (3–6 nm). Each crystalline orientation of STO thin films has a specific in-plane orientation relationship with respect to the Pt(1 1 1) layer. Flat-, rod-, and triangle-shaped grains are clearly observed from atomic force microscopy investigation, which are associated with the (1 1 0)-, (1 0 0)-, and (1 1 1)-oriented grains, respectively. Their grain orientations also show a good correlation with the X-ray structural analysis. The growth mechanism of each crystalline orientation can be described in term of surface diffusion, surface energy anisotropy, electrostatic, and role of TiO x seeds.