We have investigated the effects of low energy bombardment on the microstructural, compositional, and electrical characteristics of ion beam sputtered thin films of Y1Ba2Cu3Ox. During deposition, secondary bombardment of the growing film was performed using a Kaufman or ECR type ion source with energy ranging up to 125 eV. Microstructural changes have been characterized by TEM and XRD. Ion channeling has been performed to characterize the degree of orientation of the films. The effects of bombardment on the composition of the films were studied by RBS. It has been found that the use of an ECR microwave oxygen ion source trained on the growing films induces as‐deposited superconductivity and also play a role in the texturing of the films. The effects of ion bombardment on the critical current (Jc) and temperature (Tc) are also reported.