An inductively coupled plasma (ICP) assisted direct current (dc) magnetron sputtering system was used for depositing titanium oxide (TiO(x)) films on unheated glass substrates. The partial pressure of oxygen P(O2) and the type of gas injection were varied to control the oxygen flux in the vicinity of the substrate. At radio frequency (rf) power to generate ICP P(rf)=500 W, dc magnetron sputtering current I(d)=0.8 A and total pressure P(T)=0.5 Pa, a sudden decrease in the electron density N(e) in the vicinity of the substrate occurs at P(O2)=0.26 Pa, which corresponds to sputtering transition from metallic mode to oxide mode, and the deposition rate CID decreases significantly from - 10 nm/min to similar to 0.7 nm/min. When a gas mixture of oxygen and argon was lead into the chamber near the target, golden yellow TiO film with a well-crystallized structure was obtained under metallic mode of sputtering and transparent amorphous TiO(x) films were synthesized under oxide mode of sputtering. When oxygen was separately introduced to the vicinity of the substrate, various TiO(x) films with good crystallinity, including rutile and anatase, were obtained by varying P(O2) under the metallic mode of sputtering. Transparent polycrystalline rutile and anatase films were grown on unheated glass substrate at a(D)=10 nm/min. Additionally we discussed about the low-temperature growth of crystalline TiO(x) films based on the results. (C) 2008 Elsevier BY. All rights reserved.