Field emission from AlN nanoneedle arrays

Abstract

AlN nanoneedles with an average tip dimension of ∼15nm were synthesized via a simple vapor deposition method. The AlN nanoneedles exhibit excellent field-emission properties with a low turn-on field of 3.1V∕μm and a high current density of 4.7mA∕cm2 at the field of 9.9V∕μm. The field enhancement factor for a single nanoneedle is estimated to be as high as 30 000 due to its small tip radius. These features make the AlN nanoneedles a competitive candidate for field-emission-based displays.