This investigation demonstrates the fabrication of semitransparent field-effect transistors with self-assembling ordered ZnO nanowire (NW) networks, using a high-k HfO 2 gate. The devices exhibit excellent optical transparency and transistor performance at on/off ratios of > 10 5 , a mobility of ∼7.59 cm 2 · V −1 · s −1 , and threshold voltages of ∼4 V. Under UV illumination (3.65 eV), the devices exhibit the highest relative photoconductivity (∼2.08 × 10 5 ), corresponding to a photoresponsivity of 3.96 A/W at low operating voltages (V GS = 0 V and V DS = 1 V). The result suggests that the NW-based devices have low power consumption and high photosensivity when used in photodetection.Index Terms-Field-effect transistors (FETs), photoconductivity, ZnO nanowire (NW).