In this study, aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) films were prepared by in-line DC sputtering with different substrate temperatures in order to produce large area and high throughput transparent conductive oxide films applied in thin film solar cells. It was found that apparent time instability of carrier concentration and mobility for the AZO films prepared with substrate temperature higher than 50℃. Moreover, not only the measured X-ray diffraction intensity with respect to ZnO preferential (002) plane decreases but also for substrate temperature higher than 50℃. Both cases are believed to relate with anisotropic stress for the prepared AZO films produced during in-line sputtering process.