Formation of SnO2 Nanowires Using Thermal Evaporation of SnO

SnO2 nanowires (NWs) were grown on a catalyst-coated silicon wafer via the thermal evaporation of SnO powder at 20-30 mTorr. Three types of catalyst, namely Fe, Pt, and Au, were used for the synthesis of the SnO2 NWs. The results show that Pt and Au can be used for the formation of SnO2 NWs. Depending on the experimental conditions, the diameter and length of the SnO2 NWs obtained with Au catalyst are in the ranges of 20-65 nm and a few hundred nanometers to a few micrometers, respectively. The size of the Au nanocatalyst greatly affects the diameter of the SnO2 NWs. With increasing particle size of the Au catalyst, the diameter of the SnO2 NWs increased. In addition, the results show that the synthesis of SnO2 NWs can be conducted at 500 degrees C, which is compatible with low-temperature processes.