Growth and field emission properties of cactus-like gallium oxide nanostructures

Cactus-like -beta-Ga2O3 nanostructures were synthesized by a simple carbon thermal reduction process. Cactus-like -beta-Ga2O3 nanostructures are composed of a hollow microsphere and numerous -beta-Ga2O3 nanowires grown from the surface. The structure and morphology of the as-synthesized Ga2O3 nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and selected area electron diffraction. The field emission properties of the products were investigated, and the turn-on fields of 12. V/mu m and the threshold fields of 23.2 V/mu m of the product are reported for the first time. The growth mechanism was proposed through observing the morphologies of different growth stages.