We discuss the fabrication of highly conductive Ta-doped SnO2 (Sn1-xTaxO2: ITO) thin films on glass by pulse laser deposition. On the basis of the comparison of X-ray diffraction patterns and resistivity (rho) values between epitaxial films and polycrystalline films deposited on bare glass, we proposed the use of seed-layers for improving the conductivity of the TTO polycrystalline films. We investigated the use of rutile TiO2 and NbO2 as seed-layers; these are isostructural materials of SnO2, which are expected to promote epitaxial-like growth of the TTO films. The films prepared on the 10-nm-thick seed-layers exhibited preferential growth of the TTO (110) plane. The TTO film with x=0.05 on rutile TiO2 exhibited p = 3.5 x 10(-4)Omega cm, which is similar to those of the epitaxial films grown on Al2O3 (0001). (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.