Abstract: ZnO nanorod arrays with different morphology were successfully prepared by a simple thermal evaporation method.The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy(EDS), transmission electron microscopy(TEM) to obtain the structural information.Needle-like ZnO nanorods with hexagonal cross-section are single-crystalline and the growth direction of ZnO nanorods is along.The formation mechanism of ZnO nanorods is presented based on HRTEM characterization and surface energy analysis.The optical properties of ZnO nanorod arrays were studied by micro-Raman scattering and micro-PL spectroscopy.