Synthesis, characterization and cathodoluminescence of nanostructured SnO₂ using microwave plasma enhanced CVD

Nanostructured tin oxides have been synthesized in the form of nano-pins using SnCl2 center dot 2H(2)O as precursors in a short period of 2.5 min by microwave plasma enhanced CVD. The resulting nano-pins have square cross sections of 50 - 60 nm at the pin head, 10 - 20 nm at the pin proper and less than 5 nm at the pin tail; the full length of the pin is about several micrometres. The optical properties measured by cathodoluminescence show strong indigo emission at 404 and 460 nm. The nucleation and growth are dominated by a self-catalytic vapour - liquid - solid mechanism, which has been studied in this work.