Catalyst-free growth of tin oxide one-dimensional nanostructures on silicon nitride substrates

We have obtained one-dimensional (ID) nanomaterials of tin oxide (SnO2) on silicon nitride (Si3N4)-coated Si substrates by carrying out the thermal evaporation of solid Sn powders and varying the substrate temperature in an Ar/O-2 ambient gas. We analyzed the samples with scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and photo luminescence (PL). Reactions at a lower substrate temperature gave rise to thinner ID structures. The obtained 1D nanomaterials were single crystalline with a tetragonal rutile structure. We proposed a vapor-solid process as the growth mechanism for SnO2 nanorods. The PL spectrum exhibited visible light emission.