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Tm3+ doped SnO2 semiconductor thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering method. The doping effects of rare-earth thulium on the crystal structures, optical properties, chemical compositions, surface morphologies of tin-oxide thin films, together with the electrical properties of the corresponding SnTmO thin film transistors (TFTs), were investigated. SnTmO semiconductor thin films with polycrystalline structures feature a wide bandgap of over 3.8 eV. XPS results reveal the typical photoelectron signals of Sn4+ and Tm3+. Smaller crystallite size and more grain boundaries can be formed in doped SnO2 samples which may be responsible for the degradation of device mobility. It was found that the electrical properties of SnO2 TFTs can be modulated by Tm3+ incorporation. The appropriate Tm3+ doping concentration is around 1.6 at.% within our experimental conditions. The optimized field-effect mobility, subthreshold swing, threshold voltage, on-off current ratio and the interface trap density are 5.5 cm2 V−1 s−1, 0.618 Vdec−1, −2.3 V, 5 × 107 and 6.7 × 1011 cm−2, respectively. Stability measurements show threshold voltage shifts of 12.3 V and −11.7 V in PBS and NBS process respectively. This study may provide useful understandings on rare-earth doped SnO2 semiconductors.