Abstract
An intense enhancement of ultraviolet (UV) emission was observed in various kinds of ZnO samples that were prepared using a wet chemical method when they were under electron-beam irradiation. The UV emission can increase to more than two times its initial value, whereas the visible emission reduces to a negligible value. We suggest that this enhancement effect mainly results from electron-stimulated desorption of adsorbed water. Applying this effect, we have developed a simple technique of directly writing submicrometer UV emission patterns in ZnO with an electron beam without changing the material's surface morphology.