Sputtered molybdenum thin films are used in thin-film transistor liquid-crystal displays as conducting materials. Their low electrical resistance and easy chemical patterning make them an excellent material for source/drain electrodes and data bus-lines. Since annealing treatments are necessary in the processing of thin-film transistors, these films have to withstand thermal exposure without deterioration of their properties. However, exposure of molybdenum thin films above 300°C in ambient atmosphere results in surface oxidation, leading to the formation of colored oxide films. In this study, the influence of different alloying elements on microstructure, electrical properties, oxidation and wet etching behavior of molybdenum thin films was investigated. Ternary molybdenum alloys and reference Mo-Ti-Ni films were deposited by d.c magnetron sputtering and annealed in ambient air at 330°C for 1 h. The oxidation resistance of the ternary molybdenum films was significantly enhanced by the alloying elements, forming a thin protective oxide surface layer and thus preventing the formation of colored molybdenum oxides. The wet etching ability of the ternary molybdenum films in phosphoric, acetic, nitric acid was slightly reduced, but was still acceptable for thin-film transistor liquid-crystal display applications.