This study deals with the influence of defects on the electronic properties of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs).In order to perform this study we have synthesized ZnO NPs using an original physical way : the Low Energy Cluster Beam Deposition. The NPs size can be adjusted between 6 and 18 nm depending the synthesis parameters and their analysis shows that the NPs have a good stoichiometry, cristallinity and surface quality.The photoluminescence properties of different ZnO samples structured at different scales (i.e. nanoparticle, microcrystal and monocrystal) have been analyzed at different temperature (10K-300K). The good cristallinity of the NPs is confirmed by the lack of visible luminescence. The comparison of the 3,31 eV excitonic emission of ZnO samples structured at different scales shows that this band is due to extended defect and/or exciton-phonon coupling rather than a surface luminescence. Moreover the lack of the 3.31 eV in the NPs luminescence shows that these defect does not occurs in ZnO NPs. At last, the time resolved study of the donor bounded exciton emission shows a variation of the decay time with the size of NPs suggesting a Giant Oscillator Strenght phenomenon.The transport properties of ZnO NPs assembled thin film are determined by conductivity measurements at variable temperatures. Different possibilities are considered in order to explain the temperature dependence of the conductivity and correlated with the optical properties of the NPs, showing a hopping type conductivity. The huge reactivity of the nanostructured film strongly influences the conductivity showing a possibility to use ZnO NPs as a gas sensor.
