Abstract: Thermal oxidation of C36000 copper alloy in N2-5 wt. % O2 and N2-12 wt. % O2 was used to grow nanowires on the surfaces of the substrate. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis of the nanowires confirmed their composition as ZnO. The dimensions of the ZnO nanowires, as well as the thickness of the oxide layer varied with the thermal oxidation parameters of time and weight percentage of oxygen. The measured contact angles of water drops on the surfaces of these samples showed a dependency on the values of the fractional surface area of the ZnO nanowires as well as on the oxide layer thickness. An anti-wetting surface with water contact angle of 142° was obtained after 2 h of thermal oxidation of the C36000 copper alloy in N2-12 wt. % O2, corresponding to a Cassie-Baxter wetting state with growth of ZnO nanowires on convoluted oxide layer.