Dense single phase CuO thin films are prepared by a remote plasma sputtering. The films were polycrystalline without evident preference in crystal orientations. All of the p-type CuO thin films exhibited indirect optical bandgap about 1.5 eV. The hole concentrations could be readily tailored from 1017 to 1022 cm−3. The refined tuning is critical in engineering delivery of CuO-based solar cells.