Metallic zinc layered polyhedral microparticles have been fabricated by thermal evaporation and condensation technique using zinc as precursor at 750 degrees C for 120 min and NH(3) as a carrier gas. The zinc polyhedral microparticles with oblate spherical shape are observed to be 2-9 mu m in diameter along major axes and 1-7 mu m in thickness along minor axes. The structural, compositional and morphological characterizations were performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). A vapour-solid (VS) mechanism based growth model has been proposed for the formation of Zn microparticles. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) emission spectrum of the product exhibited a strong emission band at 369 nm attributed to the radiative recombination of electrons in the s, p conduction band near Fermi surface and the holes in the d bands generated by the optical excitation. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.