We report fabrication and properties of multipod ZnO structures, synthesized from a mixture of ZnO, GeO2, and graphite. We studied the morphology, composition, and optical properties of these structures for different ZnO:GeO2 ratios. The formation mechanism of the multipods is discussed. The multipod structures exhibit significant enhancement of the green emission which can be attributed to the increased surface area. Enhancement of the green emission is of interest for typical applications of ZnO phosphors, such as field emissive display technology. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.