Field emission properties of ZnO nanowires synthesized by thermal decomposition process

Vertical ZnO nanowires were uniformly fabricated on a tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) glass substrate by low-temperature thermal decomposition. The morphology and structure of ZnO nanowires were analysed by scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The diameter and length of the ZnO nanowires were about 30-50 nm and 5 mu m, respectively. The XRD and TEM investigations show that the ZnO nanowires were single crystals with growth direction along the c-axis of the crystal plane. The turn-on field of the ZnO nanowires grown at 300 degrees C was found to be about 3.5V mu m(-1) at a current density of 10 mu Acm(-2). The emission current density of the ZnO nanowires grown at 300 degrees C reached 1mAcm(-2) at an applied field of 7.0V mu m(-1).