Al doped ZnO thin films have been deposited by a RF magnetron sputtering technique from a ZnO (2 wt.% $Al_2O_3$) target onto glass substrates heated at temperature ranging from RT to $400^{circ}C$. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the deposits have a preferential growth along the c-axis of a hexagonal structure. The full with at half maximum decreases from 0.45 to $0.43^{circ}$ in the studied temperature range. The root main square surface roughness increases with substrate temperature from 1.89 to 2.67 nm. All films are transparent up to 80% in the visible wavelength range and the adsorption edge is red-shifted with substrate temperature from RT to $400^{circ}C$. The sheet resistance increases from 92 ohm/sq to 419 ohm/sq when the deposition temperature increases from RT to $400^{circ}C$. The increment of sheet resistance is caused by lowered carrier concentration resulting from an increase in surface roughness.