Making use of the RF magnetron sputtering technique, we have succeeded in fabricating ZnO films where c-axis of crystallites are unidirectionally aligned in the plane, without the mechanism of epitaxy. The alignment of c-axis in the plane was then carefully investigated by the X-ray pole figure analysis and atomic force microscope measurements. From these results, we have revealed the effect of substrate position during sputtering on the c-axis alignment in the plane. We have also pointed out the important effect of the oxygen ions in the RF plasma on the (1 12 0) texture formation. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.