Gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) assisted deposition technique has been applied to form titanium-dioxide films. When oxygen cluster ions collide on solid surfaces, oxygen molecules in the clusters enhance oxidation due to high density energy deposition. Metal titanium pellets were used as source material for EB evaporation, because evaporation with metal pellets is much stable than that of oxide pellets. Films were deposited on sapphire (0 0 0 1) substrates with various conditions. Characteristics of the films were examined by use of XRD, RBS and AFM. When film was deposited with the acceleration voltage of 7 kV at 473 K, the well c-oriented rutile TiO2 film was formed with average roughness of 0.4 nm. Without assistance of GCIB rough amorphous film was formed in an atmosphere of oxygen. Very smooth surface films with good crystallinity were formed by GCIB assisted deposition technique. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.