Tuning the field-emission properties of tungsten oxide nanorods

The field-emission properties of tungsten oxide nanorods, the relationship between the field-emission properties, and the phase structure and methods used to tune these properties were investigated. It was found that the tungsten oxide nanorods were prepared using a simple thermal oxidation approach. The phase structure of the nanorods deposited was controlled by adjusting the temperature of the tungsten spiral coil. It was found that there was no obvious degradation observed for the emission current density and that the fluctuation in the emission current density was less than 15%. The nanorods deposited were vertically aligned and have diameters that depend slightly on the coil temperatures. The study not only provided a material for cold field electron emitters but also an alternative method for tuning the field-emission properties of nanomaterials which should be of interest in many fields.