Thin films of cobalt II oxide were prepared by the chemical bath deposition process using aqueous ammonia (30%) as a complexing agent. A post-deposition annealing treatment of the as-deposited films at 350°C for 30 mins in a controlled oxygen atmosphere (100-130 kPa/cm 2 ) was found to be a necessary precondition for obtaining good-quality CoO thin films. The films are p-type and semi-insulating with low carrier density of about 1011 em -3, high resistivity, and very low photosensitivity. From the study of the optical transmission spectra in the UV, visible and near-IR regions it was observed that the films had less than 10% transmittance in the UV,~50 % in the mid-visible region and 86% at a wavelength of 1100 nm. The optical constants were computed from the reflectance and transmittance spectra. The refractive-index values in the near-infrared region were fitted to the single oscillator Sellmeier dispersion model, yielding an undispersed refractive index of 1.80. The films showed both direct and indirect optical bandgaps E g , of 4.14 ± 0.05 eV and 3.89 ± 0.02 eV, respectively. PACS 81.15 -Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy. PACS 81.15.Lm -Liquid phase epitaxy; deposition from liquid phases (melts, solutions and surface layers on liquids).