Surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters for lowfrequency (38-65 MHz) applications have been developed using a radio frequency (RF)-magnetron-sputtered ZnO film on fusedquartz substrates. SAW propagation characteristics such as electromechanical coupling coefficient (K 2 ), SAW phase velocity (v), insertion loss, and temperature coefficient of delay (TCD) have been measured. The intergidital transducer (IDT)/ZnO/fusedquartz device structure yields almost zero TCD (1 ppm · • C −1 ) with 0.316 λ thick ZnO layer (for the device operating at 60 MHz). Alternately, an overlayer of positive TCD material (ZnO itself) has also been deposited on the IDT/ZnO(< 0.316 λ)/fused-quartz device at a low substrate temperature to reduce the TCD. A modified layered structure consisting of ZnO/IDT/ZnO/fused quartz yields almost zero TCD (−3 ppm · • C −1 ) with a 5.3-µm-thick ZnO overlayer and a 8.1-µm-thick (0.183 λ) ZnO bottom layer. Experimentally obtained SAW propagation characteristics have been compared with the theoretical results. Index Terms-Deposition by sputtering (81.15.Cd), filters (84.30.Vn), surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in piezoelectrics (77.65.Dq), thermal stability (68.60.Dv).