This paper presents the role of the deposition pressure and the rf power density on the optimization of the electrical, optical and structural properties of large area (30 X 40 cm(2)) indium-tin oxide films produced by rf magnetron sputtering, with growth rates exceeding 30 nm/min. The films were produced at room temperature under reactive plasma, followed by a thermal annealing in air or formic gas. The best films' uniformity (<= +/- 5%), compactness and surface smoothness (preferential growth orientation along (222)); and electro-optical properties (resistivity and mobility, respectively, of about 7 x 10(-4) Omega cm and 19.6 cm(2) V-1 s(-1), with transmittance of about 92%) were achieved using a rf power density of 0.92 W cm(-2) and a pressure of 8.5 x 10(-2) Pa, followed by its annealing in air by about 2 h at 773 K. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.