IrO2 thin films were prepared on Si(100) substrates by laser ablation. The effect of substrate temperature (Tub) on the structure (crystal orientation and surface morphology) and property (electrical resistivity) of the laser-ablated IrO2 thin films was investigated. Well crystallized and single-phase IrO2 thin films were obtained at T-sub = 573-773 K in an oxygen partial pressure of 20 Pa. The preferred orientation of the laser-ablated IrO2 thin films changed from (200) to (110) and (101) depending on T-sub. With the increasing of T-sub, both the surface roughness and crystallite size increased. The room-temperature electrical resistivity of IrO2 thin films decreased with increasing T-sub, showing a low value of (42 +/- 6) x 10(-8) Omega m at T-sub = 773 K. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.