Fe-O thin films with different atomic ratio of iron to oxygen were deposited on glass and thermally oxidized silicon substrates at temperatures of 300, 473 and 593 K, by reactive magnetron sputtering in Ar+O-2 atmosphere. The composition and structure of the thin films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrical resistivity. It was found from XRD that with increasing the oxygen partial pressure in the working gas, the crystalline structure of the Fe-O films deposited at the substrate temperature of 473 K gradually changed from alpha-Fe, amorphous Fe-O, Fe3O4, gamma-Fe2O3 to Fe21.34O32. The structure and chemical valence of the Fe3O4 films Were analyzed by electron microscopy and XPS, respectively. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All tights reserved.