Field emission from well-aligned zinc oxide nanowires grown at low temperature

Field electron emission from vertically well-aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires, which were grown by the vapor deposition method at a low temperature of 550 degreesC, was investigated. The high-purity ZnO nanowires showed a single crystalline wurtzite structure. The turn-on voltage for the ZnO nanowires was found to be about 6.0 V/mum at current density of 0.1 muA/cm(2). The emission current density from the ZnO nanowires reached 1 mA/cm(2) at a bias field of 11.0 V/mum, which could give sufficient brightness as a field emitter in a flat panel display. Therefore, the well-aligned ZnO nanowires grown at such low temperature can promise the application of a glass-sealed flat panel display in a near future. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.