Er2O3 thin films have been grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at 600 degrees C on different substrates, including glass, Si (100) and sapphire (0001) using tris(isopropylcyclopentadienyl)erbium and O-2. The effects of growth parameters such as the substrate, the O-2 plasma activation and the temperature of organometallic precursor injection, on the nucleation/growth kinetics and, consequently, on film properties have been investigated. Specifically, very smooth (111)-oriented Er2O3 thin films (the root mean square roughness is 0.3 nm) are achieved on Si (100), alpha-Al2O3 (0001) and amorphous glass by MOCVD. Growth under O-2 remote plasma activation results in an increase in growth rate and in (100)-oriented Er2O3 films with high refractive index and transparency in the visible photon energy range. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.