Single-phase rutile-type TiO2 thin films with a high refractive index (n) and a low extinction coefficient(k) prepared on glass are expected to improve the performance of anti-reflection coatings. In this study, TiO2 thin films were prepared by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 600 degrees C under an oxygen partial pressure of 1-9 Pa or a 10(-5) Pa vacuum, and their crystal structure, microstructure and optical properties were investigated. A single-phase rutile-type TiO2 thin film was successfully prepared on a glass substrate by depositing at room temperature in a vacuum followed by post-annealing at 450 degrees C in air. A nanocrystalline oxygen-deficient phase in the as-deposited films plays an important role in the formation of the single rutile phase during post-annealing. The single-phase rutile-type TiO2 thin films showed excellent optical properties, with n = 3.14 and k < 0.05 at lambda = 400 nm. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.