SnOx thin films, with various oxygen deficiencies, are deposited from a Sn target on to silicon substratesby reactive magnetron sputtering. The SnOx films are characterized by X-ray diffraction ( XRD ) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS). Influences of deposition conditions such as oxygen partial pressure and annealing temperature on the characteristicsof the films are discussed in detail. The high reversible capacity and cycle performance characteristics of SnOxare also described. The results show that stoichiometric parameter x increases with the increase in oxygen partial pressure. The chargedischarge performance of the SnOxfilms is found to be dependent on x value.