We have studied the growth of Cu deposited by molecular beam epitaxy at room temperature on the O-terminated ZnO (000 (1) over bar) surface. The structural properties of Cu on ZnO were investigated by X-ray scattering, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Chemical characterisation was performed by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). X-ray diffraction studies reveal a predominant (I 1 1) out-of plane texture and the [1 (1) over bar0](Cu)| |[11 (2) over bar0](ZnO) and [11 (2) over bar](Cu) | | [10 (1) over bar0](ZnO) azimuthal orientation of the Cu. The XPS spectra show that the ZnO (0 0 0 (1) over bar) surface is completely covered after a Cu deposition with a nominal thickness of 50 Angstrom. AFM and SEM images clearly indicate that at later deposition states Cu clusters increase laterally and later coalesce. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.