Without external irradiation, the heavily fluorine doped SnO2 nanocrystals show a broad glow curve at 454 K in the thermoluminescence spectrum. On irradiation with UV light, the glow curve of SnO2:F resolves in to two, one centred at 440 K and the other at 520 K. The glow curves, under different heating rates, before and after irradiation with UV light are analyzed by the Glow Curve Deconvolution procedure and peak shape methods. A major trap with activation energy of 1 eV coupled with high frequency factor of order of 10(10) s(-1) suggests it to be a potential direct contact temperature sensor. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.