Optoelectronic Characteristics and Field Emission Properties of Indium-Doped Tin Oxide Nanowire Arrays

Abstract

Optoelectronic characteristics of individual indium-doped tin oxide (In-SnO2) nanowires are investigated by performing transport measurement with UV illumination on/off circles. The current rapidly increases from 0.15 to 55 nA under UV illumination, which is ascribed to the increase of carrier concentration and the decrease of surface depletion. Efficient and stable field emission is obtained from In-SnO2 nanowire arrays. The current density is up to 17 mA/cm2 at 3.4 V/μm, and the fluctuations are less than 1%. The emission behaviour is perfectly in agreement with the Fowler–Nordheim theory. Our results imply that In-SnO2 nanowires are promising candidates for UV detectors and field emission displays.