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Enhanced Field-Emission Properties of Sol–Gel-Derived Nanostructured \(\hbox {SnO}_{2}\):F Thin Film for Vacuum Microelectronics

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Abstract

Nanocrystalline fluorine-doped tin oxide thin film is synthesized by sol–gel-dip-coating technique. Hydrofluoric acid is used as the F-source, which has performed a simultaneous dual activity: (1) it has improved the conductivity by F-doping and (2) has increased the surface roughness via mild etching, both of which have improved the field-emission performance of the doped film over the undoped film. Electron microscopic image of \(\hbox {SnO}_{2}\):F film has revealed highly sharp emitter tips at the film surface, which has provided a very high geometrical field enhancement factor (\(\beta \sim 760\)) and a very low turn-on field (\(\sim \) 4.8 V \(\upmu \hbox {m}^{-1})\). The field-emission process follows the Fowler–Nordheim tunnelling of cold-electron emission. This simple and cost-effective approach can be very useful for surface nanostructuring of thin film-based field emitters with improved field-emission characteristics for vacuum microelectronics applications.

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Acknowledgements

The technical help on FE measurements from Dr. B.K. Min of YU is acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Mechanical and IT Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, 712-749, Republic of Korea

    Arghya Narayan Banerjee

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  1. Arghya Narayan Banerjee
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Correspondence to Arghya Narayan Banerjee.

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Banerjee, A.N. Enhanced Field-Emission Properties of Sol–Gel-Derived Nanostructured \(\hbox {SnO}_{2}\):F Thin Film for Vacuum Microelectronics. Arab J Sci Eng 43, 3815–3821 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-017-2964-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-017-2964-6

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