In this paper, a simple self-assembled lateral growth of ZnO nanowires (NWs) photodetector has been synthesized by a hydrothermal method at a temperature as low as 85 degrees C. The ZnO NWs exhibit single-crystalline wurtzite with elongated c-axis and can be selectively lateral self-assembled around the edges of ZnO seeding layer. The current of ZnO NWs is sensitive to the variation of ambient pressures, i.e. 4.47 mu A was decreased to 1.48 mu A with 5 V-bias as 1.1 x 10(-6) Torr changed to 760 Torr. accordingly. Moreover, the current voltage characteristics of ZnO NWs photodetectors can be evidently distinguished by UV illumination (i.e. lambda = 325 nm). The photocurrent of ZnO NWs with UV illumination is twice larger than dark current while the voltage biased at 5 V. Consequently, this faster photoresponse convinces that the hydrothermally grown lateral ZnO NWs devices have a fairly good for the fabrication of UV photodetectors. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.