Transparent metallic Sb-doped SnO2 nanowires

The authors report the growth and characterization of single-crystalline, degenerately Sb-doped SnO2 (SnO2:Sb) nanowires. The in situ doped SnO2:Sb nanowires are transparent conductors with resistivities down to 4.1x10(-4) Omega cm and failure-current densities up to 2.1x10(7) A/cm(2). High carrier concentrations (>10(20) cm(-3)) and minimal environmental effects were also observed and attributed to effective Sb doping. The SnO2:Sb nanowires can be obtained at large quantities using a low-cost vapor transport method and may provide a suitable alternative to indium tin oxide as transparent conducting oxide materials. Field emission devices with SnO2:Sb nanowire cathodes and anodes exhibited an ultralow turn-on voltage of 2 V. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.