SnO2 thin films have been grown on soda-lime glass substrate using a simple spin-coating method. The films grown under different calcining temperatures have been characterized using microstructural and luminescent measurements. Room-temperature photoluminescence measurements under excitation at 280 nm show two broad emission peaks, the one peaking at 430 nm can be related to tin interstitials or dangling, and the other at 400 nm can be related to oxygen vacancies in the SnO2 thin films. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.