Field emission from single-crystalline HfC nanowires

Abstract

Single HfC nanowire field emitter/electrode structures have been fabricated using nano-assembling and electron beam induced deposition. Field ion microscopy has been applied to study the atomic arrangement of facets formed on a field evaporation-modified HfC nanowire tip. Field evaporation and crystal form studies suggest that the {111} and {110} crystal planes have lower work functions, while the {100}, {210}, and {311} planes have higher work functions. Field emission measurement permits us to obtain that the work function of the {111} crystal plane is about 3.4 eV.