SnO2 is an interesting material for a wide array of applications. In this report, pure SnO2 films were deposited on Cu substrates by one-step cathodic electrodeposition without any pretreatment of the electrolyte or post-treatment of the deposit. It was found that the concentration of HNO3 in the electrolyte, ageing of the electrolyte, the electrodeposition temperature, and the electrodeposition voltage are critical to obtain SnO2 films and avoid co-deposition of Sn. By carefully controlling those processing parameters, pure SnO2 films composed of fine particles with good adherence to the Cu substrate have been successfully prepared. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.