Electrospinning is presented as a facile method of preparing relatively long tin oxide (SnO(2)) nanofibers that are robust and stable in air. Upon heat treatment, the fibers collapse into a ribbon-like structure with surfaces that are not smooth, rather, are marked with several interconnected pathways. These nanoribbons were electrically characterized in a field effect transistor configuration in vacuum, with and without ultra violet (UV) light exposure. The resultant variable resistor device exhibits n-type behavior having an on/off ratio of similar to 6000. The devices show a direct response to UV with faster response times upon exposure to longer wavelength light. In the presence of UV, the device conductance and mobility increases, reaching a value similar to 2 cm(2)/V-s for the 364 nm UV light source, comparable to amorphous Si.