Field-Emission Characteristics of Zinc Oxide Nanowires Using Low-Temperature Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Fluid Method

Abstract

Single-crystalline ZnO nanowires (NWs) were directly grown on Zn/glass substrates by using a low-temperature (i.e., 40 degrees C) supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO(2)) fluid method. The optical, physical, and field-emission (FE) characteristics of the SCCO(2)-synthesized ZnO nanostructures are systematically investigated. ZnO NWs exhibited the low turn-on field of 3.16 V/mu m at a current density of 10 mu A/cm(2) and a low threshold field of 4.38 V/mu m at a current density of 1 mA/cm(2). The current fluctuation of ZnO emitters was less than 8% at 5.3 V/mu m in 12 h. The excellent FE properties of SCCO(2)-synthesized ZnO emitters at low temperature make them a superior candidate for FE-based display devices.