ZnO nanorods were deposited on the polished Ti substrate using electrochemical-hydrothermal methods. The titanium substrate was first electro-polished to remove the oxide and obtain an ideal flat surface. Subsequently, a seed layer of ZnO was electrochemically deposited in both Zn(NO3)(2) and ZnCl2 solutions. On top of the seed layer, ZnO nanorods were hydrothermally deposited in Zn(NO3)(2) and hexamethylenetetramine solution. To examine the polishing and growth conditions, atomic force microscope, X-ray diffraction analysis, and optical images under a microscope were used to measure the surface roughness, crystalline structure, and film morphology. Well-crystallized nanorods can be grown on top of the Ti substrate with a suitable polishing voltage and sufficient growth time. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.