Structure and photoluminescence of ultrathin films of Sn[O.sub.2] nanoparticles synthesized by means of pulsed laser deposition

A combination of the x-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy techniques is employed to explain the structure, as well as the surface morphologies and properties of the ultrathin tin oxide films prepared by the pulsed laser deposition technique. The photoluminescence emission of the nanoparticles is shown to be completely dependent on the presence of the oxygen vacancies.