Zinc oxide films for thin filmpiezoelectric transducer applications have been deposited by triode sputtering onto goldfilmsurfaces.Filmssputtered under relatively hydrocarbon-free conditions showed the “normal” orientation with the c axis perpendicular to the substrate surface. The addition of hydrocarbon vapors to the sputtering gas at the beginning of the deposition resulted in films at least partly oriented with the c-axis parallel to the substrate surface, and the simultaneous application of a reverse bias to the substrate holder produced films essentially completely oriented with this parallel orientation. Under oblique deposition conditions the average c axis direction in the film plane was directed towards the target, yielding good piezoelectric shear mode transducers with a uniform polarization. It is suggested that the hydrocarbon vapors polymerize in the discharge, covering the substrate with an organic film on which zinc oxide grows with the parallel orientation, and that alignment of the c-axis in the oblique deposition arises from preferential growth of crystallites oriented with their c axis towards the target.