Transparent zinc oxide thin lms doped with molybdenum have been prepared using a DC reactive magnetron sputtering on glass substrates from metallic ZnMo target. The three lms, called A, B, and C, had 1.9 at.% Mo, 2.8 at.% Mo and 4.7 at.% Mo, respectively. The composition of the lms was determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The analysis of Mo 3d 5/2 core level spectra indicated that Mo exist in the lms in Mo 6+ oxidation state irrespective of the Mo content in the lm. The X-ray di raction spectrum of lm A showed a texture along the 002 orientation, while that of lm B showed two peaks, one at θ ≈ 34.5 • and the other at ≈ 36.5 • corresponding to 002 and 101 orientations, respectively. Film C showed two small peaks corresponding to 100 and 110 orientations. Optical measurements showed that all three lms had a transmittance of about 80%. The energy band gap showed a linear increase as Mo concentration increases from 3.29 eV to 3.38 eV. The atomic force microscopy image of lm A showed a homogeneous morphology of the surface of the lm, while the atomic force microscopy images of lms B and C showed an inhomogeneous one.