Nanomaterials (Jan 2021)

High Current Field Emission from Large-Area Indium Doped ZnO Nanowire Field Emitter Arrays for Flat-Panel X-ray Source Application

  • Yangyang Zhao,
  • Yicong Chen,
  • Guofu Zhang,
  • Runze Zhan,
  • Juncong She,
  • Shaozhi Deng,
  • Jun Chen

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11010240
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
p. 240

Abstract

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Large-area zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire arrays have important applications in flat-panel X-ray sources and detectors. Doping is an effective way to enhance the emission current by changing the nanowire conductivity and the lattice structure. In this paper, large-area indium-doped ZnO nanowire arrays were prepared on indium-tin-oxide-coated glass substrates by the thermal oxidation method. Doping with indium concentrations up to 1 at% was achieved by directly oxidizing the In-Zn alloy thin film. The growth process was subsequently explained using a self-catalytic vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism. The field emission measurements show that a high emission current of ~20 mA could be obtained from large-area In-doped sample with a 4.8 × 4.8 cm2 area. This high emission current was attributed to the high crystallinity and conductivity change induced by the indium dopants. Furthermore, the application of these In-doped ZnO nanowire arrays in a flat-panel X-ray source was realized and distinct X-ray imaging was demonstrated.

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