Synthesis, characterization and field emission properties of tin oxide nanowires

• SnO2 nanowires (NWs) are grown by chemical vapor deposition of Sn and C mixture.
• Electron microscopy studies reveal towards high aspect ratio of SnO2 NWs.
• NWs exhibit low turn-on and threshold fields of 1.75 and 2.48 V/μm, respectively.
• Importantly, SnO2 NWs exhibit emission stability over a period of more than 50 h.

Tin oxide (SnO2) nanowires are synthesized by Au catalyzed chemical vapor deposition of Sn and C mixture at 900 °C by employing a continuous flow of Ar: O2 (10:1) for an hour. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy studies indicate that the as-grown SnO2 nanowires are crystalline in nature with tetragonal rutile phase. Electron microscopy studies reveal towards high aspect ratio of nanowires. The field emission studies show that SnO2 nanowires grown on Si substrate exhibit low turn-on field of 1.75 V/μm (at 0.1 μA/cm2) and long-term emission stability over a period of more than 50 h with a current density of 4 μA/cm2 at a constant electric field of 2.25 V/μm. Hardly any considerable degradation in the emission current is noticed even after 50 h which may be attributed to the high crystallinity of SnO2 nanowires.

SnO2 nanowires exhibit field emission stability for a period of 50 h. Inset: Field emission J–E characteristics recorded after 50 h emission stability test.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide