dA Cu-doped In2O3 (CIO) interlayer was introduced to enhance the electrical and optical properties of Sb-doped SnO2 (ATO) p-type electrodes grown by pulsed laser deposition. CIO (2.5 nm)/ATO (250 nm) contacts become ohmic with specific contact resistance of 2.1 x 10(-3) Omega cm(2) and give transmittance of similar to 81% at 400 nm, when annealed at 630 degrees C for 1 min in air. Near-UV (400 nm) GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) fabricated with the CIO/ATO p-electrodes give forward-bias voltage of 3.91 V at injection current of 20 mA and show much higher output power compared to LEDs with conventional Ni/Au p-electrodes. (c) 2007 The Electrochemical Society.