Iridium oxide (IrO2,) thin films were deposited on Si (100) substrates by means of pulsed laser deposition technique at various substrate (deposition) temperatures ranging from 250 to 500 degrees C. Effects of substrate temperature on the crystalline nature, morphology and electrical properties of the deposited films were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy and four-point probe method. It was found that the above properties were strongly dependent oil the substrate temperature. The as-deposited films at all substrate temperatures were polycrystalline tetragonal IrO2, and the preferential growth orientation changed with the substrate temperature, from films exhibited fairly homogeneous thickness and good adhesion with the substrate, the average feature size increases with tile substrate temperature. The room-temperature resistivity of IrO2 films decreased with tile increase of substrate temperature and the minimum resistivity of(42 +/- 6) mu Omega cm was obtained at 500 degrees C. The resistivity of IrO2, films correlated well with the corresponding film morphology changes. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.