This article describes the preparation of transparent conducting oxide (TCO) thin films by a vacuum arc plasma evaporation (VAPE) method using multicomponent oxide materials composed of any combination of two of the following binary compounds: ZnO, In2O3, and SnO2. The resulting TCO thin films were prepared with high deposition rates with the desired chemical composition in the ZnO-In2O3, In2O3-SnO2, and SnO2-ZnO systems by altering the composition of the sintered oxide fragments used as the source materials. Minimum resistivities were obtained in amorphous In2O3-ZnO, SnO2-ln(2)O(3), and ZnO-SnO2 thin films that were prepared with a Zn content of about 8.5 at. %, an In content of about 46 at. %, and a Sit content of about 78 at. %, respectively. It was found that the electrical, optical and chemical properties in ZnO-SnO2 thin films prepared using the VAPE method could be controlled by altering the Sn content. (c) 2005 American Vacuum Society.