In this paper we report the semi-conductor of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film deposited by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (R-HiPIMS) on glass substrates without external heating. We focus on the influence of deposition parameter, the ratio of O2/Ar exactly, on the crystalline and electrical properties of ZnO films. It is found that n-type ZnO film with a high carrier concentration can be grown through HiPIMS technique, the ratio of O2/Ar remarkably affects the ZnO crystalline and electrical properties. At O2/Ar = 14/80 sccm, the ZnO film was orientated at c-axis (002) plane. Based on the temporal resolution optical emission spectroscopy (OES), for the proposal of the correlation of film structure with plasma radicals and the reaction process in ZnO growth, the components in plasma are diagnosed. It is concluded that in a higher oxygen partial pressure, owing to the high ionization rate in HiPIMS, the oxide layer formed between pulses is removed, the growth of a new oxide layer during the pulse is hindered, hence the growth rate is increased, and the carrier concentration caused from point defects in ZnO film is high. •The nucleation and coalescence of ZnO are correlation to O2/Ar ratio.•With increase of O2/Ar ratio, the densities of Ar+ and Zn+ were increased.•The Penning discharge happens in the HiPIMS.