Semiconductor ZnO nanowire arrays were fabricated by one-step electrochemical deposition technique based on ordered nanoporous alumina membrane. Their microstructures were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectrum, and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that the ZnO nanowire array is uniformly assembled into the nanochannels of anodic alumina membranes (AAM). It is found that photoluminescence spectrum of the ZnO/AAM assembly system depends on the excitation wavelength in the visible region, which is attributed to different types of oxygen vacancies in the ZnO nanowires. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.