Self-assembled Ni-doped zinc oxide (Zn1-xNixO, x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, i.e., ZnNiO, nominal composition) nanorod arrays vertically grown on the ZnO seed layer covered glass along [0 0 1] direction were synthesized by hydrothermal method. Their images and structures have been characterized by scan electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra, showing that Ni doping is beneficial to the formation of ZnO nanorods with hexagonal cross section and the enhancement of ZnO crystal quality. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) study further demonstrated that Ni atoms were successfully doped into ZnO lattices. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ZnNiO samples show near bandedge emission (NBE) peaks at about 380 nm at a low excitation power and the NBE peak position redshifts while its intensity continuously increases with the increase of Ni doping concentration. With the excitation power increasing, the NBE peak redshifts from 380 nm to about 400 nm for ZnNiO nanorod arrays. The NBE mechanisms for ZnNiO nanorod arrays have been discussed, which is helpful for understanding their room temperature ferromagnetisms. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.