NOVELTY - Producing a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) material (I) comprises: either (a) adding a material to a TCO to produce a higher-permittivity oxide, and (b) depositing a TCO metal oxide to form a thin film (170) having enhanced optical properties without substantially decreasing electrical quality; or producing a TCO material demonstrating a lower-permittivity than the host oxide, and carrying out the step (b).    USE - The thin film is useful in liquid crystal displays, touch panel devices (e.g. personal digital assistants and electronic controllers), photovoltaic solar cells, low-emissivity window glass, transparent thin film transistors and opto-electronic applications.    ADVANTAGE - The added material of high or low permittivity oxide: enhances process reliability and repeatability; and helps to maintain a high carrier concentration at high oxygen partial pressures during deposition. The added material maintains both electrical and optical quality of the TCO thin film even at high oxygen levels. The added material limits formation of low-transparency phases if low oxygen levels are present during deposition. The added material is an effective donor, hence maintaining both electrical and optical quality of the TCO thin film even at low oxygen levels. The added material provides excess oxygen so that oxygen vacancies in the TCO target lattice are retained as donors and detrimental effects of oxygen interstitials are limited if high oxygen levels are present during deposition. The process provides the thin film: with high-transparency, low infrared transparency and enhanced optical properties without substantially decreasing electrical quality; and exhibiting highly conductive properties. (I) enables lower power consumption in flat panel displays, hence a longer battery lifetime. (I) exhibits enhanced wear-resistance, mechanical durability, and/or chemical resistance.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for:    (1) the thin film produced by the process; and    (2) a method of optimizing electrical and optical properties of TCO thin film, comprising providing TCO target with an added material to increase a range of oxygen partial pressures needed during deposition; and depositing a metal oxide on the target (110) in the process chamber (100) to form the TCO thin film.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a high-level schematic illustration of a sputtering process for producing transparent conducting oxides.    Process chamber (100)    Target (110)    Ions (120)    Constituent atoms (130)    Thin film. (170)