Skip to main content
Log in

Surface coating effect on field emission performance of ZnO nanowires

  • Published:
Applied Physics A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Surface coating effect on field emission performance of ZnO nanowires was studied by zinc surface coating. Coating time was found to play an important role in determining the field emission properties. 3 s and 5 s coating enhanced the field emission properties considerably, with lower turn-on field and larger electron emission current density. Prolonging the coating time to 10 s deteriorated the field emission properties of ZnO nanowires. Surface morphology change and green emission in photoluminescence related surface state were found to be responsible for such improvement. Our results provide an innovative approach to improve the field emission properties of ZnO nanowires for development of vacuum nanoelectronic devices.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. X. Wang, J. Zhou, C. Lao, J. Song, N. Xu, Z.L. Wang, Adv. Mater. 19, 1627 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. A. Dorfman, N. Kumar, J. Hahm, Adv. Mater. 18, 2685 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. J. Bao, M.A. Zimmler, F. Capasso, Nano Lett. 6, 1719 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. M. Law, L.E. Greene, J.C. Johnson, R. Saykally, P.D. Yang, Nat. Mater. 4, 455 (2005)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Y.W. Zhu, H.Z. Zhang, X.C. Sun, S.Q. Feng, J. Xu, Q. Zhao, B. Xiang, R.M. Wang, D.P. Yu, Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 144 (2003)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Q. Zhao, X.Y. Xu, X.F. Song, X.Z. Zhang, D.P. Yu, C.P. Li, L. Guo, Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 033102 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Q. Zhao, H.Z. Zhang, Y.W. Zhu, S.Q. Feng, X.C. Sun, J. Xu, D.P. Yu, Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 203115 (2005)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. G.Z. Shen, Y. Bando, B.D. Liu, D. Golberg, C.J. Lee, Adv. Funct. Mater. 16, 410 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Q. Wan, K. Yu, T.H. Wang, C.L. Lin, Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 2253 (2003)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. A. Wei, X.W. Sun, C.X. Xu, Z.L. Dong, M.B. Yu, W. Huang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 213102 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. U.K. Gautam, L.S. Panchakarla, B. Dierre, X.S. Fang, Y. Bando, T. Sekiguchi, A. Govindaraj, D. Golberg, C.N.R. Rao, Adv. Funct. Mater. 19, 131 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. R.H. Fowler, L.W. Nordheim, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. A, Math. Phys. Sci. 119, 173 (1928)

    Article  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  13. Y.W. Zhu, A.M. Moo, T. Yu, X.J. Xu, X.Y. Gao, Y.J. Liu, C.T. Lim, Z.X. Shen, C.K. Ong, A.T.S. Wee, J.T.L. Thong, C.H. Sow, Chem. Phys. Lett. 419, 458 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Q. Zhao, J.Y. Gao, R. Zhu, T.C. Cai, S. Wang, X.F. Song, Z.M. Liao, X.H. Chen, D.P. Yu, Nanotechnology 21, 095701 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Q. Zhao, T.C. Cai, S. Wang, R. Zhu, Z.M. Liao, D.P. Yu, Appl. Phys. A 100, 165 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. L.Y. Yuan, G.J. Fang, C. Li, J. Li, M.J. Wang, N.S. Liu, X.Z. Zhao, Surf. Coat. Technol. 202, 3480 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. C.H. Ye, Y. Bando, X.S. Fang, G.Z. Shen, D. Golberg, J. Phys. Chem. C 111, 12673 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. K. Vanheusden, W.L. Warren, C.H. Seager, D.R. Tallant, J.A. Voigt, B.E. Gnade, J. Appl. Phys. 79, 7983 (1996)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. Y.J. Xing, Z.H. Xi, Z.Q. Xue, X.D. Zhang, J.H. Song, R.M. Wang, J. Xu, Y. Song, S.L. Zhang, D.P. Yu, Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 1689 (2003)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. J.C. She, Z.M. Xiao, Y.H. Yang, S.Z. Deng, J. Chen, G.W. Yang, N.S. Xu, ACS Nano 2, 2015 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. H.Y. Yu, Y.C. Liu, R. Mu, C.L. Shao, Y.M. Lu, D.Z. Shen, X.W. Fan, Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 123107 (2005)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Z.Y. Fan, D.W. Wang, P.C. Chang, W.Y. Tseng, J.G. Lu, Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 5923 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. CRC Handbook on Chemistry and Physics (CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2008)

Download references

Acknowledgements

This project is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 50902004 and 11023003) and National 973 projects (Nos. 2007CB936202, 2009CB623703, MOST) from China’s Ministry of Science and Technology and the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education. We acknowledge the International Science & Technology Cooperation Program of China Sino Swiss Science and Technology Cooperation Program (2010DFA01810).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Qing Zhao or Dapeng Yu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zhao, Q., Zhu, R., Wang, S. et al. Surface coating effect on field emission performance of ZnO nanowires. Appl. Phys. A 106, 557–562 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-011-6664-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-011-6664-x

Keywords

Navigation