This study examined the micro-structural and electrical properties of nitrogen-ion implanted ZnO nanorods. Nitrogen ions (N(+)s) with energy of 50 keV and beam flux of 10(16) particles/cm(2) were implanted on vertically-aligned ZnO nanorods. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements showed that N(+)s were spread uniformly over the nanorods. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements suggested that the implanted N(+)s had partially substituted for the oxygen sites. The I-V characteristic curves showed that the N+-implanted nanorods were n-type. Moreover, annealing at 800 degrees C enhanced the charge carrier density in the nanorods by 10-fold, compared to the N+-implanted and unannealed ZnO nanorods. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.