Transparent and conductive indium oxide films have been obtained by reactive evaporation of indium in partial oxygen pressure. The oxygen partial pressure, the substrate temperature and the deposition rate have been used as variable parameters. Post-deposition annealing treatment in air or argon ambient have also been used. During the deposition process, different mechanisms With opposite effects axe in competition. Thus, oxygen vacancy density which is proportional to the carrier density decreases when the oxygen partial pressure increases, while the crystalline quality of the films improve, Therefore, an experimental domain can be defined A here the films have more or less similar properties: a transmittance higher than 90% and a conductivity of 10(+3)-3 x 10(+3) (Omega cm)(-1). the experimental environment, the optimal conditions used can be summarised as follows -partial oxygen pressure P-0 : 8x 10(-2) Pa < P-0 < 4 x 10(-1) Pa; substrate temperature T-b : 200 degreesC < T-b < 250 degreesC: In2O3 deposition rate V-d : 0.05 nm s(-1) < V-d < 0.1 nm s(-1). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.