Field emission properties of ultra-high density vertical aligned silicon nanowires

The results of the investigation on the field electron emission properties of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are reported. The measurements were carried out in an ultra-high vacuum (∼10-9Torr) system. It was revealed that the SiNW arrays have a low threshold field of 0.3 MV/m for electron emission and a high emission current density, i.e., 3.5 A/cm² at the applied field of ∼15 MV/m. It is proposed that the high aspect ratio and the high density of the wires should be the main advantages accounting for the excellent emission properties. These findings indicate that vertical aligned SiNW have a potential in cold cathode applications.