Nanobelts are a new class of semiconducting metal oxide nanowires. The ribbon-like nanobelts are chemically pure and structurally uniform single crystals, with clean, sharp, smooth surfaces, and rectangular cross-sections. Positive and negative dielectrophoresis (DEP) was demonstrated for the first time on semiconducting oxide nanobelts. This effect was then used for the fabrication of a nanodevice, which consisted of SnO2 nanobelts attached to castellated gold electrodes defined on a glass substrate, and covered by a microchannel. The SnO2 nanobelts (width similar to 100-300 nm, thickness similar to 30-40 nm) were suspended in ethanol and introduced into the microchannel. An alternating (AC) voltage of similar to 9.8 V peak to peak, with variable frequency, was applied between the electrodes (minimum electrode gap similar to 20 mu m), which corresponds to an average electric field strength of less than 2.5 x 10(5) V/m. In the 10 Hz-1 kHz range, repulsion between the nanobelts and the electrodes occurred, while in the 1-10 MHz range, attraction was observed. Once the nanobelts touched the electrodes, those that were sufficiently long bridged the electrode gaps. The device was characterized and can potentially be used as a nanosensor. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.