Refractory metal-oxide coatings are widely used for optical interference applications. Conventional evaporation films have inferior optical and structural properties compared with the bulk form. These films often have a columnar microstructure with voids which leads to the instability of the optical properties (e.g., the spectral characteristics). Hence, electron-beam-excited plasma (EBEP) ion plating has been developed. The process, operated by injecting a low-energy ( similar to 150 eV) high-current ( similar to 30 A) electron beam into a vacuum chamber, produces high-density plasma at low pressure. SiO2 and Ta2O5 films for optical applications were deposited by the process. Films prepared at an oxygen pressure of 1-2 X 10(-4) Torr showed good stoichiometry and dense microstructure, which lead to the absence of significant spectral shifts resulting from changes in the temperature and the humidity of the ambient atmosphere. The above results prove that this process is a promising tool for the large-area deposition of refractory metal-oxides at low temperatures.