p-Type ZnO obtained by arsenic (As) doping is reported for the first time. Arsenic-doped ZnO (ZnO:As) films have been deposited on (0 0 1)-GaAs substrates by pulsed laser ablation. The process of synthesizing p-type ZnO:As films was performed in an ambient gas of ultra-pure (99.999 %) oxygen. The ambient gas pressure was 35 mTorr with the substrate temperature in the range 300-450 degrees C. ZnO films grown at 400 degrees C and 450 degrees C are p-type and As is a good acceptor. The acceptor peak is located at 3.32 eV and its binding energy is about 100 meV. Acceptor concentrations of As atoms in ZnO films were in the range from high 10(17) to high 10(21) atoms/cm(3) as determined by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and Hall effect measurements.