Indium doped ZnO thin films were obtained by co-electrodeposition (precursor and dopant) from aqueous solution. XRD analysis showed typical patterns of the hexagonal ZnO structure for both doped and undoped films. No diffraction peaks of any other structure such as In2O3 or In(OH)(3) were found. The incorporation of In into the ZnO film was verified by both EDS and XPS measurements. The bandgap energy of the films varied from 3.27 eV to 3.42 eV, increasing with the In concentration in the solution. This dependence was stronger for the less cathodic potentials. The incorporation of In into the film occurs as both, an In donor state in the ZnO grains and as an amorphous In2O3 at the grain boundaries. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.