Visible light response of tin oxide nanobelts

In the present work we report the effect of visible (VIS) light on the conductivity of SnO₂ nanobelts. The existence of visible light effect is unusual, since bulk SnO₂ is a wide band gap semiconductor. Two types of nanobelt alignment/trapping methods were used in fabricating devices for study of the visible light effect. Fluid flow alignment was used for making individual nanobelt devices, while AC dielectrophoresis was used to trap multiple nanobelts. DC current passing through the SnO₂ nanobelt devices was monitored under VIS and UV light illumination. Visible photoluminescence was also observed in the nanobelt samples.