We investigate surface morphology and electrical properties of VO2 films fabricated by direct thermal oxidation method. The VO2 film prepared with oxidation temperature at 580 degrees C exhibits excellent qualities of VO2 characteristics, e.g. a metal-insulator transition (MIT) near 67 degrees C, a resistivity ratio of similar to 2.3 x 10(4), and a bandgap of 0.7 eV. The analysis of surface morphology with electrical resistivity of VO2 films reveals that the transport properties of VO2 films are closely related to the grain size and surface roughness that vary with oxidation annealing temperatures. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.