title: Single-crystalline GdB6 nanowire field emitters.
abstract: Having the lowest work function in the rare-earth hexaboride family, GdB6 nanowires of rectangular cross-section with about 50 nm in lateral dimension and several microns in length have been successfully produced using a CVD method. The nanowires are grown in the 001 lattice direction, and both the tip-top and the side surfaces are terminated with the {100} lattice planes. A GdB6 single nanowire field emitter has also been built with an emission current of more than 150 nA at an applied field of less than 3.2 V/mum. The work function of the nanowire emitter was estimated to be about 1.5 eV.
authors.affiliation: Curriculum in Applied and Materials Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3255, USA.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Gongpu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Otto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Lu-Chang
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Qin
mesh_terms: D001895:Boron / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000737:chemistry*; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size
chemical_list: D005682:Gadolinium; D001895:Boron