Copper oxide (Cu2O) thin films were used to produce bottom gate p-type transparent thin-film transistors (TFTs). Cu2O was deposited by reactive rf magnetron sputtering at room temperature and the films exhibit a polycrystalline structure with a strongest orientation along (111) plane. The TFTs exhibit improved electrical performance such as a field-effect mobility of 3.9 cm(2)/V s and an on/off ratio of 2 x 10(2). (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3428434]