JIA Yuxin, YU Shengwang, Ma genwang, ZHANG Yixin, HEI Hongjun, SHEN Yanyan
((School of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, Shanxi, China)

Abstract: ZnO nanorods grown on free-standing diamond films and Si substrate were prepared by low-temperature hydrothermal method using zinc nitrate as reactant and HMTA as catalyst. The morphologies, sizes and properties of the obtained ZnO nanorods were measured by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffractometer, Raman spectrum, photoluminescence and electrical field emission. It was demonstrated that the c-axis ZnO nanorods appeared with free-standing diamond and Si substrates. The ZnO nanorods deposited on free-standing diamond films exhibited sharper ends, better crystallinity, higher purity and less structure defect. The turn-on field of the ZnO nanorods was 6.8 V/μm, attaining a current density of 0.20 mA/cm²in an applied field of 11.9 V/μm . The field enhancement factor was 11.5 times higher than that of the ZnO nanorods deposited on the Si substrate.

Key words: ZnO nanorods; free-standing diamond; hydrothermal method; electron field emission