We report a three-step deposition process for uniform arrays of ZnO nanorods, involving chemical bath deposition of aligned seed layers followed by nanorod nucleation sites and subsequent vapour phase transport growth of nanorods. This combines chemical bath deposition techniques, which enable substrate independent seeding and nucleation site generation with vapour phase transport growth of high crystalline and optical quality ZnO nanorod arrays. Our data indicate that the three-step process produces uniform nanorod arrays with narrow and rather monodisperse rod diameters (similar to 70 nm) across substrates of centimetre dimensions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to study the growth mechanism and characterise the nanostructures. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.