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Growth of an Ag film on a ZnO (0 0 0 1) surface by ultra-high vacuum deposition has been investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy. It is revealed that the growth temperature has a considerable effect on the formation of a continuous Ag thin film on a ZnO surface. At room temperature or above, the formation of continuous Ag films with small thickness was found to be difficult due to an upstepping mechanism, whereas a continuous Ag film as thin as 30 nm was achieved at 140 K, resulting from the reduced migration length of silver atoms and the increased saturated island density at low temperature. Coalescence between the islands occurred and predominated over upstepping during subsequent deposition, which is favourable for the formation of a continuous Ag film with a smaller thickness.