In this work we employ conventional (diode) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) magnetron sputtering to deposit tungsten thin films of thickness 40 nm. The effect of varying the deposition parameters (background pressure, substrate bias and, particularly, the argon sputtering pressure) on transformation of the films' phases and related physical properties was investigated using grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, as well as electrical resistivity evaluation and bending-beam stress measurements. Tungsten films deposited by diode sputtering at any argon sputtering pressure from 5 X 10(-1) Pa (5 X 10(-3) mb) up to 2.0 Pa over a broad parameter window are dominated by beta-W, thus yielding resistivity that could reach similar to190 muOmega cm. Conversely, over a broad range of sputtering pressures and substrate biases, the ICP sputtering is capable of depositing alpha-W thin films that exhibit markedly reduced resistivity of only similar to20 muOmega cm. The impact of varying the deposition parameters on the residual stress, phase distribution, microstructure, and crystallinity of the deposited films is discussed in terms of an energy-enhanced deposition mechanism and the well-known zone-structure model proposed earlier. (C) 2004 American Vacuum Society.