Polyaniline/zinc oxide (PANI/ZnO) hybrid film based sensors have been developed for ammonia (NH3) detection at room temperature (RT). Results shows that hybrid film sensor exhibits a p-type semiconductor behavior and larger response than that of pure PANI film sensor. In the system, ZnO nanorod arrays can not only create nanoscale gap for gas diffusion but also provide abundant adsorption sites, thus leading to enhancement of response. Besides, hydrothermal time is proportional to the length of nanorods, Longer nanorods will provide efficient gap for gas diffusion, which leads to better sensitivity. This work offers a promising way to optimize sensor performance. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.