Abstract: This article demonstrates the possibility of controlling the morphology of deposited metal oxide films by the preliminary formation of the seed-layers of the appropriate oxide on the substrate surface using a simple and cheap method such as successive ionic layer deposition. The study focuses on SnO ₂ and In ₂O ₃ due to their importance in the field of various chemical microsensors. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].