Yttrium-doped TiH2 films have been prepared by magnetron sputtering on Si substrates. Ion beam analysis (IBA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) using synchrotron radiation, HAADF-STEM and X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were used to characterize the structure, morphology, composition and thermal annealing properties of Ti-Y-H films. It is found that the Y atoms can be dissolved in the TiH2 phase up to a higher content to form well crystalline hydride phase, but in Ti-Y binary phase, Y greatly retards Ti phase crystallizing and can lead to full amorphization in the Y content of -9% during the room-temperature deposition. Since the oxygen was introduced into the films due to the plasma contamination during the process of sputtering deposition, partial Y atoms in the film were oxidated and existed as disordered Y2O3 nanoclusters dispersed in the matrix. After the annealing at 400 degrees C, these disordred Y2O3 nanoclusters can grow into Y2O3 grain with (111) preferred orientation. Copyright (C) 2015, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.