In2O3 thin films have been grown by reactive evaporation of indium in ambient oxygen. The films were structurally characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy techniques. The results of XRD revealed that the films were polycrystalline in nature with preferred (222) orientation. The as-grown films were subjected to various annealing treatments to modulate the conductivity of the films for thin film transistors (TFTs). TFTs fabricated on SiO2 gate dielectric exhibited an on/off ratio of 10(4) and a field-effect mobility of 27 cm(2)/V s. High on-state current makes them potential candidates for flat-panel display devices. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.