The surface morphology and the local physical properties of very thin intermediate Mg-Ti-O spinet films grown on MgO(100) were studied by the use of non-contact atomic force microscopy. When Ti was deposited in an O-2 atmosphere on a MgO(100) substrate at high temperature, a long range stripe structure of Mg-Ti-O spinel was formed. Distance between the stripes is changed by the heating conditions. The stripe regions were positively charged comparing with the terrace regions, which was originated by the oxygen vacancy species. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.