Recently, we produced textured ZnO seeds by thermally
decomposing a thin layer of zinc acetate on a substrate.17
First, a substrate is wetted with a droplet of 0.005 M zinc
acetate dihydrate in ethanol, rinsed with ethanol after 10 s,
and then blown dry. This step is repeated three to five times
to ensure a complete coverage of seeds. Upon heating above
200 °C, the zinc acetate crystallites decompose to form ZnO
islands, with their (0001) planes parallel to the substrate
surface. The alignment is substrate-independent and occurs
on any flat surface regardless of the surface crystallinity and
chemistry. Vertical wires have been grown on ZnO and Al2O3