A blue emitting SrCeO phosphor with a one-dimensional structure has been prepared by a two-step spray pyrolysis (SP) method, starting from the aqueous solutions of metal nitrates with citric acid and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as additives. The material is ultimately designed for field emission displays (FEDs). X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), field emission scanning electron microscope pictures (FE-SEM) as well as photoluminescence (PL) and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy and lifetime measurements have been employed to characterize the samples. The morphology, PL and low voltage CL properties of SrCeO phosphors as-prepared using the SP method have been investigated by changing the concentration of the precursor solution, concentration of PEG, annealing temperature, acceleration voltage and filament current. The obtained SrCeO phosphor particles are spherical and of submicron size, 0.5-2 μm. The emission spectrum of the phosphors shows a broad band with maximum at 467 nm (lifetime=37.4 μs; CIE chromaticity coordinates: x=0.15 and y=0.21), presumably due to a ligand-to-metal charge-transfer transition. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.