Controlled growth of ZnO pyramid arrays with nanorods and their field emission properties

• Published in: Journal of physics. D, Applied physics Vol. 41; no. 13; pp. 135409 - 135409 (5)
• Main Authors: Xiao, Jing, Wu, Yue, Bai, Xin, Zhang, Wei, Yu, Ligang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 07.07.2008; Institute of Physics
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Electron and ion emission by liquids and solids; impact phenomena; Exact sciences and technology; Field emission, ionization, evaporation, and desorption; Physics; Pyramidal shape; Screening; Scanning electron microscopy; Electric field effects; Morphology; VLS growth; Zinc oxide; Vacuum evaporation; Nanorod; Electron field emission
• ISSN: 0022-3727; 1361-6463
• DOI: 10.1088/0022-3727/41/13/135409

Two kinds of novel ZnO pyramid arrays with nanorods were synthesized by a simple pressure controlled thermal evaporation method without any catalyst. The field emission properties of the ZnO pyramid arrays with nanorods have been investigated: the turn-on electric field (at the current density of 10 muA cm-2) was about 3.7 and 4.5 V mum-1 and the threshold electric field (at the current density of 1 mA cm-2) was 6.0 and 6.6 V mum-1. The good field emission properties were believed to benefit from good arrangement and low emitter density. This work provided a simple and catalyst-free method to control the density of the emitters, which could efficiently suppress the field-screening effect and improve the field emission properties.