Microstructural characterization and crystallographic orientation aspects of aluminium doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) thin films have been investigated by means of electron backscatter diffraction. ZnO:Al was produced by magnetron sputtering deposition from a ZnO ceramic target containing 2.0 wt% Al2O3 and 0.12 wt% Y2O3. Both top surface and cross-section analysis were performed. The experimental details concerning specific sample preparation procedures for EBSD investigations are presented. Crystalline texture was described by the inverse pole figure (IPF) maps. Strong texture on the basal plane orientation was observed on the analyzed thin film surface. In accordance with these results obtained from top surface investigations, a strong prismatic texture was found in cross-section analysis. From all these analyses a good description and quantification of the three dimensional configuration of the grains and of their crystallographic texture can be proposed. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.