Here's a semi-explicit construction for a smooth function f that is zero precisely on the classical Cantor set. By this set I mean the one that is obtained from $I_0 = [0,1]$ by repeatedly removing the middle third of any ensuing interval. So let's denote by $I_n$ the
$n$-th set in this process.

Now let's make a smooth function $f_n$ on $[0,1]$ such that its zero set is exactly $I_n$.
Starting with $f_0 = 0$ we obtain $f_{n+1}$ from $f_n$ as follows:

Set $f_{n+1} = f_n$ on $I_{n+1}$ and
on an interval that is removed from $I_n$ make $f_{n+1}$ equal to a bump function
that is 0 only at the boundary of the interval. We can choose the bump function to be of height $2^{-2^n}$.

This choice of heights of the bump functions will ensure that 
the derivatives of $f$ all converge uniformly to their pointwise limits.
Hence the limit function $f_n$ is again smooth. By construction its zero set is exactly
the Cantor set.