Electroless ZnO deposition on a glass substrate from dissolved oxygen-free aqueous solutions containing Zn(NO3)(2) and dimethylamineborane (DMAB) was examined to yield ZnO films applicable to a transparent conducting oxide (TCO). Concentration of Zn(NO3)(2) was optimized in terms of crystal growth orientation and surface morphology using XRD and AFM, and that ranging from 0.065 to 0.075 NI was found to provide well < 0 0 0 1 >-oriented dense ZnO, films. The polycrystalline ZnO films deposited with Zn(NO3)(2) concentration of 0.07 M had a preferred < 0 0 0 1 > growth orientation and exhibited high visible transparency. Top-view and cross-sectional FE-SEM images revealed that hexagonal columnar ZnO grains with 200 nm in diameter and 210 nm in length grew almost vertically from a glass substrate, Heat treatment at 123 K under a reductive atmosphere was performed to increase the intrinsic carrier concentration in the ZnO film, and Hall effect measurements revealed low electrical resistivity of 4.7 x 10(-3) Omega cm. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.